Colchester Borough Council’s Woodland and Biodiversity Project is looking for suitable locations and community groups to work with, to create new community orchards for Colchester.
Last year, the council helped launch two community orchards, one in Magnolia Field, Greenstead and one on land adjacent to Colchester’s Cemetery. Due to the success of these, it is looking to find more sites to plant on in 2022.
Community Orchards are a wonderful way to bring communities together. The trees not only provide beauty to the local landscape, but they also create calming areas where people can find peace and serenity. They can help foster friendships develop and enable people to learn new skills and discover new interests. Once established, the orchards will provide fruit for the community to pick and eat.
Using fruit trees native to East Anglia, the project will help preserve local horticultural heritage and help the local environment thrive with wildlife.
The council is urging any community groups to come forward to register their interest, and if an application is successful, help will be provided to help fund an orchard, on a 50/50 basis.* Help will also be provided to initially set up the orchard, but the local community must be able to continue to care for the trees to ensure they thrive.
Cllr Steph Nissen, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, said: “This is a terrific idea for Colchester. Let's get together and help create some stunning community orchards. Trees are vital for our environment; they help filter our air, encourage pollinators', provide beauty, bear fruit, and bring together individuals and communities. Whether you are a small community group with some land, a school with room for a small number of trees or a landowner that can accommodate a larger number of trees on land the public can access, please get in touch. Let’s get together and help create a brighter, greener future for Colchester.
Register your interest by emailing nick.day@colchester.gov.uk
Page last reviewed: 2 August 2022