The waiting list for an allotment in Chippenham is at an all-time low.

As schools this week celebrate the end of the growing season with harvest festivals, no one in Chippenham need wait long for one of 300 plots on six sites in the town.

The Garden and Allotment Society said a couple of years ago there were about 130 people waiting but, despite great summer weather, the list had plummeted to just a dozen – the lowest it has ever been.

A number of plots became available this year due to retirement, ill health and relocation of tenants.

Society chairman David Love said: “There was a big surge after Grow Your Own on telly but now the list is practically non-existent, there are only a handful on it.

“People get the impression they’re going to have to wait a long time so think ‘what’s the point?’, but at the moment it could be a matter of weeks. Anyone living within the Chippenham boundary can rent one.”

Society secretary Frankie Jones had to wait nearly three years to get a plot at Cricketts Lane. She said: “I know some people who were even on it for five years. But, contrary to popular belief, the waiting list is no longer measured in years but in months.

“At 150 square yards, the plots are big enough to supply a family with fresh fruit and vegetables for most of the year.

“To reap the rewards takes some commitment, but the fresh air and exercise are well worth it.”

Prospective gardeners can put their name down for a plot in general or ask for a specific site. Allotments are in Cricketts Lane, Deansway, Hardenhuish (Malmesbury Road), Hungerdown, Ladyfield and Lords Mead.

Mr Love said plots just require weeding at this time of the year but in the spring would need a few hours’ work a week.

The annual rent is £28.50 per five lug plot. Call (01249) 658467 or email chippenhamallot ments@googlemail.com