An MP says a shortage of allotments in a Shropshire town is leading to long waiting lists. Demand for allotment spaces in Shrewsbury has been growing, with the credit crunch and demand for organic food being cited among reasons. Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski has tabled a Commons motion calling for the council to "step up its efforts" to provide more allotments. The borough council said it intends to use more of its land for this purpose. A spokesman for Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council said officers would recommend creating more allotment spaces in their report to cabinet in September. Chris Davies, is secretary of Castlefields Allotments Association, one of several council-owned allotments in Shrewsbury. Fresh food He said since March the association's waiting list for an allotment had "steadily increased" and now had 27 people - the highest number for at least five years. He said in the last two to three years there had been 10 to 12 people on the list, but at the start of this year the number rose to 19 or 20. He said: "I think more and more people want organically-grown food, many are becoming vegetarian - like myself, although I have been vegetarian for years. "Also, people want to be sure their food is fresh and are not sure how long supermarket produce has been there for." He added he thought the drive to save money in the current economic climate was among reasons for increased demand, but not the main one. The association runs 102 allotments, with rental from �11 a year for a half plot for concessions to �38 a year.
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