Orchard under threat after apple throwing reports

Roger Rawson says he is very disappointed that the orchard might have to go but is hopeful that the trees can be used elsewhere

An orchard planted to celebrate a town's apple growing heritage is facing an uncertain future due to falling volunteer numbers and anti-social behaviour.

Wisbech in Bloom planted 130 trees, including 31 varieties of heritage apples, at Wisbech Park in the Cambridgeshire town in 2018.

However, earlier this year the charity was forced to return the site to the care of Fenland District Council due to a lack of volunteers and reports that apples were being thrown at nearby buildings and people.

The council will vote on Friday whether to remove the trees altogether.

Another local group, the Fenland Orchards Project, has stepped in to say it could salvage the trees.

Members of Wisbech in Bloom say the uncertainty is particularly poignant, given one of their late members had instigated the creation of the orchard.

The orchard was designed to also be a maze for youngsters and sits on a 35 sq metres plot of land

Roger Rawson, 77, of Wisbech in Bloom, said the orchard had taken a lot to maintain and the group was struggling to attract new members.

"We only have about 10 members these days," he said.

Mr Rawson said an increase in anti-social behaviour and apple throwing had not been helped by a lack of police presence in the town and "non-existent security" at the orchard.

Andrew Callaghan hopes to save all the trees if he can rally a big push by local landscapers or horticultural businesses for use of specialist lifting equipment

Andrew Callaghan, 60, who runs the Fenland Orchards Project on the outskirts of Wisbech, says the trees could be lifted and replanted if help can be found.

"It would be a massive job, but if we had the help of some local landscaping businesses to loan us equipment to lift the trees it would be possible for them to survive," he said.

Mr Callaghan added that he was annoyed the apples had been used as projectiles and that volunteers could look after the trees at the new site - with the harvesting of fruit passed on to the local community.

The council said there had been an increase in anti-social behaviour in the area since the recent completion of the pavilion building next to the trees, with drug paraphernalia found discarded.

Wisbech councillor Samantha Hoy described the orchard as an unkempt "eyesore".

She said the orchard was a nice idea in theory but felt their removal and replanting was "a far better use of the trees".