With almost 1,500 city residents in the queue for an allotment, has Labour lost the plot?

Lib Dem election candidate for Peverell and local allotment holder Stuart Bonar (pictured) is calling on Plymouth's Labour-run council to cut the city's allotment waiting list, which stands at 1,447 across 37 sites, according to the most recent official numbers. The longest queue is for the Embankment Road site, where it stands at 150.

Stuart Bonar, who holds a plot at one of the four allotment sites in Peverell Ward, where he is standing for election, said: "An allotment is not simply a hobby. It's a way to grow fresh food, get outside, support mental and physical wellbeing, and be part of a community. The benefits are well-evidenced. The problem is that too many people who want one can’t get one."

Plymouth's Liberal Democrats are calling on the city's Labour administration to identify suitable new land that could be brought into use and set out a clear plan for expanding provision across the city.

Stuart continued: "There are over 160 people waiting across the four sites in Peverell Ward, where I am standing for election. I waited around two years for my own plot, so I know how frustrating it can be.

"I live in a flat, as do an increasing number of people in the city, so I don't have a garden. My allotment is, for me, a little green space to call my own. I can grow food, listen to birdsong, look out for our site’s resident pheasant, meet new people, or simply just relax.

"The council needs to ask itself why these lists are so long, find areas that could become new sites, and commit to protecting and supporting the ones we already have."

Plymouth Liberal Democrats want to protect and improve the city's green spaces, including allotments.