PLANS have been lodged with Northumberland County Council to turn an unused piece of land into a tranquil pocket park.

The concepts of pocket parks has been popularised in the US, but has spread to the UK – with the Quayside in Newcastle’s pop-up beach a prime example.

Now, Prudhoe Community Partnership has revealed plans to bring the concept to the Tyne Valley.

The park would be situated on Front Street between McGee’s hardware store and Gamer Nights.

Large planters containing 12 multi-stem Amelanchier lamarchii trees will be put in place to transform the space.

Owned by the Co-op, the area is currently used as an unofficial car park. The Co-op has agreed to lease the land to the partnership for a peppercorn rent.

George Hepburn, the partnership’s chairman, hoped the park will be up and running by Easter.

He said: “Rather than dig into the ground which is full of rubble, we’re going to put very big planters up that will hold trees.

“It’s low maintenance. We hope it will be a quiet, refreshing place for people to dream dreams.

“We hope it will be up and running in the spring. The trees will come fully grown but they have to be planted then, so by Easter it should be up and running.”

The idea was mooted by Prudhoe’s Front Street Traders.

With the news that the town’s new Tyneview retail park is now open for business following the opening of B&M Bargains on Wednesday, the traders and the partnership are hoping to work together to make Front Street an attractive location as possible.

Mr Hepburn added: “The idea came from the Front Street Traders.

“It’s really nice to be doing it with the traders, because we all want Front Street to be an attractive place to shop and visit.”