Turning a Melksham estate into an area filled with herb gardens, vegetable patches and floral displays is the primary aim for a local residents’ association.

The Queensway Galleybaggers, made up of residents living on the Queensway estate, will hold a community event in May, after being awarded a £750 grant from the area board, so people can suggest sites for community gardens, come up with designs and collect flowerpots to grow their own shrubs and herbs.

Teachers at The Manor Primary School have also expressed an interest in taking part in the project Spearheading the campaign is Tenants and Residents Association chairman Alison Christy, who said rather than having a central ‘community garden’ on one piece of land, the project was about developing and maintaining lots of gardens, window boxes and land across the whole estate.

She said: “This could be little things like hanging baskets, or bits of land in the area that are unused or people with gardens that they maybe don’t want to look after themselves and wouldn’t mind people coming in and planting things in them.

“Rather than planting, say flowers, I thought it would be a good idea to grow produce, like fruit or vegetables all over the estate.

“I think herbs would be a good starting place. Children from local schools in the area can help plant them and they don’t need to be watered all the time.”

Some of the grant money will help pay for a marquee for the launch event, flyers and also seeds and equipment to get project off the ground.

Miss Christy, of Lambourne Crescent, said: “There is a lot of garden space around the estate and it would just be nice to have everyone involved and have everyone inputting their ideas.

“It will hopefully see young people working alongside older people in the community and children from the local schools getting involved too.

“We want it to be like one big melting pot of ideas and suggestions. The young people will have all these new and whacky ideas, hopefully, and the older generation have so much experience and so many ideas of their own.” The Galleybaggers’ fun day on May 22 will offer creative activities, and give residents the chance to plant herbs in their gardens and other open spaces.