RESIDENTS in the Maindee area of Newport will one day be able to pick plums, pears, and apples thanks to a new community orchard project.

Green-fingered volunteers from the Maindee Unlimited neighbourhood group have planted 17 young fruit tree saplings along a thin grassy strip of land near the Newport Bus terminal in Corporation Road.

"Hopefully within the space of a couple of years you'll see fruit," John Stone, of Maindee Unlimited, said.

"It's also a habitat for pollinators and a corridor to the river to bring biodiversity into Maindee.

The idea is that residents can come along when the fruit's ripe and pick it for themselves."

The orchard is part of a wider 'Greening Maindee' project aimed at turning the neighbourhood's few green spaces into a patchwork of pocket parks and gardens.

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Maindee Unlimited goes into the project on the back of high praise from locals for the community garden volunteers built, from scratch, at the eastern end of the George Street Bridge earlier this year.

"It's been really positive, and people are delighted to see it happening on their doorstep," Mr Stone said. "One man said the garden gave him a lift every day when he passed it on his way to work.

"It's given us a boost to carry on and do things elsewhere."

Volunteer Sarah Brown said more green spaces could have a positive impact on people's health, as well as making the neighbourhood more attractive.

And Mr Stone said: "We've not got one big site, but all the small sites together can change the perception of Maindee."

The group is also planning to transform an old public toilet block on Chepstow Road into a cafe. External work is expected to start in March, Mr Stone said.