COMMUNITIES across Greenock are campaigning for grassroots change - by turning areas of wasteland into allotments for residents.

Newly re-elected councillor Colin Jackson started the ball rolling recently as he opened talks with the area's largest housing association River Clyde Homes in a bid to transform barren landscapes into something useful.

It is hoped that gap sites in areas like Broomhill and in Greenock's east end, where hundreds of houses once stood, could be transformed into green plots.

Labour's Mr Jackson said: "In an area like Broomhill it is really important to give residents somewhere to go outside, to get out of their flats.

"It is the community who are the driving force behind this, I am just helping make it happen.

"Allotments are much sought after and it is very hard to get plots - but communities like Broomhill could get land and manage their own.

"River Clyde Homes have been very positive so far, but it is not straightforward.

"After the housing stock transfer took place in 2007 it meant the land could not be automatically transferred, there is a lot of red tape.

"The land goes back to the government and changes hands again, it is not within the gift of River Clyde Homes to transfer it.

"It could also be argued that some of the land could be used for development.

"But certainly no one wants to see wasteland in our residential areas.

"We have a few sites in mind for allotments."

One area that has been left as a gap site is on Nile Street, pictured, where a playpark had previously been proposed.

Mr Jackson added: "Using places like this would help improve health and wellbeing and allow people to grow their own food.

"It is good for the environment."

A Broomhill residents group plans to create a committee to drive the plan forward.