The demand for plots has rocketed in Mid Sussex as families look at ways to slash their household bills and at the same time eat healthier, organic produce.

Pressure on green space, the trend for smaller, low-maintenance gardens and decking has also left people with fewer options for home-based vegetable plots.

Burgess Hill currently has a whopping 161 people on its waiting lists for allotments.

In Newick the search is also on to find possible sites for allotments in response to demand after a meeting in January attended by more than 15 people.

Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common has 48 allotments with 50 people on their waiting lists and is also currently trying to identify new sites to meet the demand.

In Horsted Keynes the average waiting time for one of the 26 allotments is now three years.

The picture is similar in Haywards Heath where there are waiting lists for all four allotment sites in America Lane, Oathall Avenue, Summerhill Lane and Vale Road.

The two sites managed by the town council in America Lane and Oathall Avenue have 59 plots with 41 on the waiting list while Summerhill Lane has 50 plots and a waiting list of 19 and Vale Road has about 90 plots.

Anne Rumble, Ardingly parish clerk, told the Middy: "The village does not have any allotments at present, but the parish council have set up a working party to look into the provision of allotments within the village and have a waiting list of interested parties."

Cuckfield, Worth and Lindfield Parish Council all have waiting lists while Chailey has 18 people with their names down for one of its 20 plots.

Slaugham Parish Council's allotments in Handcross and in Warninglid are also oversubscribed.

Sally Parker, who shares an allotment in Burgess Hill with another family, said the reason was simple: "We like growing things. We like the idea of organic produce."

Read the full story in the Mid Sussex Times

What do you think? Email middy.news@sussexnewspapers.co.uk, including your name, road name and town of your address for publication, or comment immediately online by registering or signing in below