THE THREE Towns Growers, along with local conservation group FRIENDS, have revealed plans to improve the environment of Ardrossan’s Elm Park area.

The ideas include tree planting and a mixed hedgerow to act as screening.

Now they want locals to help out by giving their views with an online consultation.

The Growers, who run the community gardens and allotments in Elm Park, have already been active in improving the local area.

Before lockdown last year, members established a community orchard with funding from the Community Benefit Fund.

Also, with funding from the charity Buglife, they established a wildflower meadow and a ‘bee bank’ at their site to benefit pollinating insects such as solitary bees.

Solitary bees are important pollinators for the fruit trees and the crops that members are growing in their plots.

Elm Park is the site of the former Parkhouse Reservoir, which was drained in the second half of the 20th century.

Three Town’s Growers and FRIENDS propose three main environmental improvements to the land to the east of the burn.They hope to plant native broadleaved trees, mainly oak, birch, hazel, elder, rowan and aspen.

The project would improve the amenity value of the Elm Park site.

Planting trees would contribute to local efforts to mitigate climate change and biodiversity will benefit from new native woodland creation.

They also propose planting a mixed hedgerow at the south of the site, as screening from the main road to reduce noise and airborne pollution in the park.

But first, they want to conduct a public consultation to see what residents of the Three Towns think of the project.

The link to the online consultation form is at: https://derby.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0cAJ11nSfX6Wxal