ONE parish council is hoping volunteers will donate their time and labour to help spruce up their community by working alongside people in the Community Payback scheme.

St Georges Parish Council’s June meeting was buzzing with ideas from residents and councillors about how to improve overgrowing hedgerows and remove leaves from drains without having to fork out an arm and a leg.

The topic came up after one of the parish’s councillors, Alan Jones, shared the idea in online forum Streetlife.

Cllr Jones wants to use the Government’s Community Payback Scheme – a programme which puts criminals on probation to work on projects benefiting communities – but he also wants to volunteer alongside the scheme’s workers.

Cllr Jones said: “Besides the unsightly mess (in St Georges) there is bound to be some obstruction of road drainage and the risks associated with that.

“A Community Payback team could start in a month and at very little cost.

“I shall be volunteering to work alongside them and hope others would like to do the same.”

Cllr Jones asked for the backing of the parish council at the meeting, and said: “I can do this on my own but if I can get a small team to help we can do a real plan.

“This is one of the ways I believe we can show that the parish council is doing something and that North Somerset Council is doing something.”

The parish council agreed to support Cllr Jones while he looks into the feasability of volunteering alongside the Community Payback team.

The issue will be discussed again at the council’s next meeting on July 21 in the community centre in Willow Close from 7.30pm.