A COUNTY councillor has come up with a novel way to solve the problem of allotments in one of his parishes.

Powick has no allotments at all and councillor Tom Wells often has to tell his green-fingered parishioners they will have to go to either Malvern or Worcester to grow their vegetables.

But Coun Wells also receives calls from some of his older parishioners who feel they can no longer manage their gardens.

Coun Wells believes a solution to both problems would be those with larger, unmanageable gardens to give a piece of land for others to grow their vegetables on.

He said: “I know lots of people are interested in gardening and there are people I know in this parish who have very large gardens who cannot look after them anymore.

“So I am suggesting the Powick Garden Exchange.

“All it needs is for people to come forward who can no longer manage their own gardens and then they can be matched with people who want to have an allotment.

“It will not be long before we all go out in our gardens again so I want to get started.”

Coun Wells suggested it might be an idea for those growing the vegetables to give some to the garden owners as a way of thanks. But Powick is not the only village without allotments.

Villagers in Suckley and those further afield can now get their own thanks to John and Jill Hammonds, who farm at Pewcroft, Knightwick, near Worcester.

They have offered space in a four-acre field for just £2 a week. “There is tremendous need here,” said Mrs Hammonds. “We have had 15 of our plots taken already.

“We decided to rent out the field after one or two people we know said they have heard the waiting lists can be up to three years.

“I will watch the Powick scheme with interest.

“There are lots of people who have got gardens too big and quite a few more people who would like theirs to be bigger.”