OTLEY residents could soon be picking their own apples and peaches from a Community Orchard.

The Town Council has agreed in principle to a scheme that would see a two-and-a-half acre field at Gallows Hill transformed into a dedicated fruit-growing area.

The council, as the landowner, was approached about the idea by Otley-based environmental group Practically Green, which has also received the backing of The Friends of Gallows Hill.

The plan is now to push on, clear and plant up the site – a rectangular plot currently blanketed in nettles and thistles.

Council chairman, Councillor Ray Georgeson (Lib Dem, Danefield), said: "From our point of view, it's relatively straightforward – the land belongs to us and why wouldn't we empower a community group to do something nice and green with it, for the benefit of residents?

"Everyone's behind the principle so we just have some practical details to sort out before we can proceed."

The most important of those will be to analyse the soil on the plot to ensure it's suitable for fruit growing, as much of the nature reserve was created from old sewage work sludge beds.

Everyone is hopeful, however, given it has been decades since the site was bought from Yorkshire Water, that there won't be a problem.

Rob Godfrey, of Practically Green, said: "This idea came from out of our aim to plant fruit trees across the whole of Wharfedale and teach people how to use and cook with them.

"We'll plant the orchard with a mixture of trees, helped by Northern Fruit Growers.

"Because it's a nature reserve, there will be a selection of native species to provide fruit, like sloe berries and crab apples. There will also be several 'crop circles' containing cultivated trees.

"We'll be able to grow plums, apples, pears, damson and even peaches, along with soft fruits like raspberries.

"It won't happen overnight. We'll be planting one or two-year-old saplings, so it will be at least five years before there's an abundance of fruit. But the idea is people will be able to come along at the right season and pick the fruit they're after."

Otley's first Green Councillor, Mick Bradley (Lib Dem, Danefield), added: "It's an underused facility at the moment.

"We see this partnership with Practically Green being – along with the major improvements currently being made to the paths – another way of attracting more people to use Gallows Hill.

"From an educational point of view it will be great. There are plans to get schools involved with the planting and to follow how it all develops."

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