HUNDREDS of people are waiting for allotments in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale after councils received a surge in demand for plots.

Councils said they believe the credit crunch may be responsible for the increase in applications during the past 12 months.

According to data from Burnley Council, released under a Freedom of Inform-ation request, 551 people are on the allotment waiting list – but the council owns just 309 plots on 11 sites.

Rossendale Council has 107 people on waiting lists for its three allotment sites, and Pendle Council said it had experienced a “noticable increase in demand in 2008”.

Simon Goff, Burnley Council’s head of green spaces and amenities unit said: “Allotment gardening has always been very popular in Burnley and we are seeing a steady increase in demand for allotments.”

A council review, aimed at increasing the number of plots and reducing the waiting list, is taking place.

Mr Goff said: “To increase the number of plots avail-able we have begun splitting large plots into two or three smaller plots, which are still more than adequate for the cultivation of fruit and veg-etables. We are looking at whether any land we own as a council could be suitable for conversion to allotments.”

There are also private and parish council sites in the borough.

A Pendle Council spokes-man said: “The council holds lists of people who have requested plots.

“There are more plots in Nelson than in Colne and if someone is prepared to travel their name is put on the waiting list for Colne but also referred to the Nelson Allotments Society in the hope that an allotment will be offered to them sooner."