Wild Banbury plants more trees to enhance an orchard in a town park

L - r are - Banbury members Bob Hunt, Harriet Jordan, Jill Meara and Margaret Hunter

Banbury Town Council and the Banbury Community Action Group (CAG) are working together to extend an already flourishing orchard at the park by planting 15 new trees.

The council is supplying the trees, bark chippings and trunk guards while CAG members and local volunteers - including members of Wild Banbury - are doing the hard work with spades and shovels.

The orchard was started in 2014 by Banbury CAG and pupils from Queensway Primary School and 70 trees - mostly apple and pear - were planted in the first phase.

CAG member Colin Smith said: “The community orchard is a fantastic local resource and it is great to be able to add more diversity with the inclusion of damson, plum and hazelnut trees.

“The original orchard is well established and residents can’t wait for the new trees to bear fruit.”

The project ties in with the council’s pledge to tackle climate change. Planting more trees is an ongoing initiative.

Paul Almond, the council’s operations manager, said: “Banbury Town Council always knew that tackling climate change would be a team effort and this is a perfect example of working with others to increase the town’s tree count.

“It’s wonderful to be able to contribute to this much-loved facility by providing the young trees.”

Wild Banbury members planted a Victoria Plum along with three types of hazel, a Haganta plum, two apples, two damsons, a greengage, three pears and two crab apples.