HUNDREDS of residents have signed a petition to save their community allotments.

The Diocese of Winchester has said it is hoping to sell the land in King’s Somborne, which had been listed as a community asset.

As previously reported, a community group and the parish council had been working together and were boosted when the allotments were relisted as an asset of community value for another five years earlier this month.

Now a petition of almost 500 people has been gathered as the parish council tries to raise the funds to purchase the site, which is more than 100 years old.

The relisting gave King’s Somborne Parish Council six months to raise funds as they requested to be considered as a bidder for the site.

It means that during this timeframe, the allotments can’t be sold to another party.

Maureen Flood, corporate portfolio holder at Test Valley Borough Council, said: “King’s Somborne Parish Council has requested that they be considered a potential bidder for the site.

“The parish council’s request to bid for the site means that a standstill period of six months will now begin. The owner cannot sell the allotments to anyone other than the parish council in this period. This will run until November 27 and at the end of the full standstill period the owner can then sell the allotments to either the parish council or another bidder.

“There is no requirement that the owner should necessarily sell to a community interest group at the end of that period as there is only a right to bid, not a right to purchase.”

The site is still being marketed by Carter Jonas on behalf of the Diocese.