A GREEN space on Mobberley Road is set to be home to Knutsford’s first community orchard in 2021.

Named the Crosstown Community Orchard, the underused park near Dog Lodge will become a thriving community space and haven for wildlife.

A community orchard is an open-to-all green space where the community shares in the bounty of an orchard.

The registered charity has secured permission from landowners Cheshire East Council, and is working on plans to plant apples, pears, plums, cherries, greengage, damsons and quince.

In total it anticipates about 50 fruit trees will be planted in early 2021, which with luck will bear fruit the same year.

The orchard will also be managed as a site for wildlife; additional trees and shrub planting will take place at the back of the site near the railway line, and bird and bat boxes installed in the mature trees.

“Our vision is to create a vibrant public space that can be enjoyed all year round,” said charity chairman Adam Keppel-Green.

“We plan to make the orchard a real gem for the community, from involving the local Scout group in planting trees to providing a place children can learn about where their fruit comes from and the varieties they can find.”

The orchard will feature different varieties of each fruit, with each tree labelled so visitors know what they are trying.

The idea for the orchard came from Adam, who lives near the site.

He added: “The concept of being able to pick fruit from community spaces is something I’ve always thought is great, and since 2018 I’ve been mulling over the idea of creating an orchard in Knutsford.

“I’ve been to a few community orchards, and in researching them I’ve been inspired by the activity the groups create, such as events around harvesting or providing training on tree care.”

Adam wrote to residents living around the space to introduce the idea, and in September recruited Malcolm Thomas and Kevin Griffiths, who have been leading a project with the town council to map and plant more trees in Knutsford.

In November, Joanna Moonan and Laura Chandler, whose gardens back onto the orchard, joined as trustees and the town council appointed a councillor trustee, Cllr Lesley Dalzell.

“We have some great ideas for how this space can be used and are really excited to see it brought to life,” Adam added.

The charity hopes to fund the orchard through grants from Manchester Airport, Knutsford Town Council and the Tree Council.

To find out more visit crosstowncommunityorchard.org.uk, or on Twitter (@xtownorchard) and Facebook (search Crosstown Community Orchard)