Northgate has more people who want an allotment than plots to give them, so almost everyone starts on a waiting list. The list is not a mystery, but it does have rules, and knowing them saves a lot of phone calls.
Who keeps the list
The council owns the allotment sites and keeps one waiting list for all of them. You join through the council's allotments page or at the library, and you can name the sites you would accept. Naming more than one usually means a shorter wait.
When a plot comes up
Plots come free when holders give them up, usually after the autumn tidy or before spring planting. The council offers each one to the next person on the list for that site, by letter or email. You have a short time to reply, and if you turn a plot down you keep your place.
While you wait
Many people share half a plot while they wait, or help an older holder who can no longer manage all of theirs. The allotment society keeps a list of holders looking for help, and its spring open days are the best place to meet them.
Keep your contact details up to date with the council. An offer that cannot reach you goes to the next name on the list.