RESIDENTS have joined forces to create a community garden.

People living in Unity Street, Riddlesden, have transformed a roadside area.

The group – dubbed CommUnity Street Gardeners – has collaborated with the creators of Facebook page Nature Friendly Riddlesden to plant beds of wild flowers.

And members made wooden planters under the instruction of Allan Clark, of mental health and wellbeing charity The Lions Den Shed ­– based at Cliffe Castle in Keighley. The planters have now been filled with a mixture of edibles and plants.

When Mr Clark was approached to make the planters, he invited the group to ‘The Shed’ to help with the construction.

He said: “We had a couple of great, fun weekends doing it. And everyone went away with all their fingers, which is always a bonus!”

Keighley East district councillors Caroline Firth, Doreen Lee and Malcolm Slater have visited the plot to hear about the scheme.

A £300 grant from Bradford Council helped get the project off the ground, enabling plug plants, flowers, hedgehog signs, a water butt, compost bin and peat-free compost to be bought.

Resident Mel Frances, who started the initiative after applying for the grant and getting neighbours on board, said: “It’s been a great opportunity to take this on as a street. We all want to do our bit for nature.

“It’s not a show garden, it’s rewilding with a mixture of edibles and plants for everyone to enjoy.

“The purpose was for wildlife as much as people. We need more biodiversity and we wanted a nature corridor on the street. Hopefully more will evolve from here. This is a habitat for all of us, and it shows we can co-exist with nature even on an urban street.

“I applied for the funding on my own but once I told others, they got on board and it’s really brought us together.

“We all look after it as neighbours. That means that if one of us is having a busy week, we know the garden will be looked after. People have walked by and said how lovely it is. We feel a sense of accomplishment.

“Thanks go to Allan for his help and to Councillor Firth and Dan Palmer, from the council, for telling us about the fund and helping at various stages along the way.”

Another resident said: “It’s been a really nice project to get to know my neighbours.

“We had seen each other around.

“But we’ve now got to know each other a bit better.”

Councillor Firth paid tribute to everybody involved.

She added: “The garden looks beautiful.

“It just shows how people with great ideas can be empowered to improve their surroundings with a small amount of funding.

“What a stunning oasis it is for humans and creatures alike. Well done to everyone.”