A call for Pembrokeshire to make more land for allotments available for the public while also reviewing their pricing has been made by the leader of the independent group.

At Pembrokeshire County Council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting which took place on March 27, Cllr Huw Murphy asked for greater allotment provision in the county.

Cllr Murphy said there were some 200 allotments in the county, with Pembrokeshire charging £32 per allotment against Ceredigion’s £60 and Birmingham’s £200.

“We should be promoting allotments and making more land available,” he told committee members, saying that his own area, Dinas has allotments, but the town of Newport did not.

He suggested a survey to find out the demand for allotments be held, citing the benefits to people’s wellbeing by working outdoors, with the facilities available at “a realistic pricing level”.

He was supported by Pembroke Dock councillor Tony Wilcox, who said the recent allocation of six allotments in his area “could’ve been got rid of five or six times over”.

In Pembroke, a recent application by the town council for 20 allotments was given the go-ahead by planners back in February using a disused play area.

The call by Pembroke Town Council to be allowed to site allotments on a County Council-owned derelict play area on land to the rear of Station Road was conditionally approved.

It was agreed to place Cllr Murphy’s allotment call be placed on the committee’s Forward Work Programme, with further discussion and a review to follow.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Murphy said: “Increasing allotment numbers will play an important part in our food security, the traceability of our food, encouraging a healthy diet and improving residents’ wellbeing, hence why I have asked that allotments be given higher priority within Pembrokeshire.”