A SCHEME to turn flower beds into edible gardens in Clitheroe has been put forward by councillors.

As part of the project floral display boxes would be filled with vegetables which could be picked by local people.

In a motion to the town council Coun Rose Conner, has called for the three-tiered floral displays in the town centre to filled with vegetables instead of plants.

The idea was first mooted by voluntary group Transition Town Clitheroe (TTC), which is hoping to encourage businesses and people to work together to grow their own food.

Coun Connor said: “This scheme is about getting the community to source food in their locality because we are going into an era with a lack of oil and gas and our dependency on shipping food from various countries all over the world will have to cease.

“We need to move towards a locally-sourced economy and take responsibility as individuals for our own food production.”

TTC was set up in July last year by a group of volunteers and now boasts more than 100 members.

It hopes to imitate the Incredible Edible Todmorden group, which achieved national acclaim when it established herb gardens, promoted egg production and generated community orchards in the Calderdale mill town.

Chris Gathercole, secretary of the group, said: “Rather than waiting until the last minute, it would be best if we begin to adapt our lives now to a life without cheap oil.

“We need to prepare ourselves for the future so that we are more resilient and reduce our dependence on oil and one way of doing this is to grow our own food and reduce the air miles.”

The group, which is hoping to fund its scheme through government grants and donations, is in talks with businesses and organisations, such as Ribble Valley Homes, in a bid to encourage them to plant vegetables on any spare land.