MORE than 50 new allotment spaces could be created in Reepham if town planners can secure a lottery grant. Land has been found close to the town centre which could accommodate up to about56 new allotments if bought by Reepham Town Council.

MORE than 50 new allotment spaces could be created in Reepham if town planners can secure a lottery grant.

Land has been found close to the town centre which could accommodate up to about

56 new allotments if bought by Reepham Town Council.

The council currently has a waiting list of 30 people wanting an allotment in the town, councillors at the annual town council meeting were told.

But thanks to a new type of Lottery grant called the local food grant, the town council could win 90pc of the cash needed to buy the land.

The grant has been set up

to help councils or groups

buy land for allotments, community orchards, woodland, hedgerows, conservation areas or amenity areas.

The council has been looking for allotment land for several years. It had been flagged

up by residents in a town review as something that

was needed as there were not enough spaces for all the people wanting them.

Land had been offered to the council to lease, but it was felt this was at to high a price and owning land would be a better investment.

Councillors agreed to put in an offer for the land and submit a bid to the lottery by July 21 to cover the majority of the cost of the land, currently used for agriculture.

The location of the land and its price had to be kept confidential as it was commercially sensitive until the land is secured.