Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Leanne Wood said she hopes the cross-party committee on the provision of allotments in Wales will lead to more land being freed up for gardening.
The Assembly Member for South Wales Central was speaking on the first day of an inquiry by the Sustainability Committee she sits on.
Leanne said: “I am very pleased that the inquiry has finally got under way. I have been promoting the cause of allotments for many years now.
“Allotments have a key role to play in the social, environmental, educational and cultural aspects of our lives which is why I would like to see provision increased significantly in order to meet increasing demand.
“Applications to local authorities have increased substantially in recent years and waiting lists are growing longer. Councils should look upon this as an opportunity rather than a problem.”
She added: “One of the points to emerge from the hearing today was the lack of guidance for local authorities when it comes to how many plots they should aim for per 1000 households. If clear advice was given in this area then I think councils would be a bit more proactive in identifying suitable land for gardening.
“I have long been calling for more public land to be available for aspiring gardeners and I hope this inquiry will be a catalyst for that.”
