PLANS are under way to create a city farm project to teach adults and youngsters about animals and how to grow fruit and veg.

Albert Tolly, 40, vice chairman of the Cluny Residents’ Association, has been trying to get the project up and running and hopes to use an allotment site in Elm Road, Shoebury.

Mr Tolly, of Cluny Square, Southend, said he was encouraged to start his own city farm by the Salvation Army which runs a similar scheme in Hadleigh.

The farm has a huge range of animals including sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys, turkeys and chickens. It receives more than 40,000 visitors per year.

Mr Tolly said: “I’ve spoken to young people in the area, and they are all for it. It could help youths who’ve been in trouble by giving them each an animal to look after. It could make a big difference to their lives.”

However, he said the Southend scheme would be different to the Hadleigh one because it would home rescued animals and rely more on the community to keep it running by helping with feeding and cleaning.

He also wants to dedicate some land for growing fruit and vegetables.

The plan is to make the farm self-sufficient by having volunteers and charging a small fee for bags of feed to give to the animals.

However, Mr Tolly said the project will need some funding. To help, he has enlisted the support of Mike Royston, Labour councillor for St Luke’s, who has been working to get the council to support the plan.

Mr Royston said: “They’ve got them in London and its shown it can be very beneficial. It gives young people hands on experience of being with animals, and its especially good for children.”

John Lamb, Southend councillor responsible for culture, said: “The community city farm appears to be an initial idea which requires further development and detail before I would be in a position to commit my support to a project of this nature.”

Clare Fleming, 24, a manager at the Salvation Army Farm, in Castle Lane, Hadleigh, said the farm had proved a real success since it opened in 2004.

She said: “It is a positive thing to educate people about aspects of countryside and how food is produced.”