A NEW green project has been launched in Stowmarket which aims to reduce the town’s carbon footprint.

Stowmarket Transition is a group which wants to promote living in an environmentally-friendly manner.

The group is keen on getting food producers and sellers talking to reduce the number of vehicles transporting goods on the roads.

Town councillor Nigel Rozier said the group would look at educating schoolchildren on how food is produced.

Speaking at a Stowmarket Town Council meeting on Wednesday, Mr Rozier said: “Not many people know a great deal about this. The concept is to reduce the community’s carbon footprint, to help overcome climate change and our increasing reliance on diminishing oil reserves.

“Every bit that reduces each community’s carbon footprint does a little bit for the environment.

“Each of our two meetings so far have been attended by a dozen people, with seven to eight coming to both. We have three dozen on the mailing list – at least people do get to know about it. I think it will grow, but it is early days.”

At the meeting councillors suggested locations in the town where food could be foraged.

Councillor Poppy Robinson said it was a “splendid” idea and town mayor Anne Whybrow asked for staff to take care when cutting hedges because of the potential for nuts to be harvested.

Town clerk David Blackburn said the council would be supporting the group and told the meeting a similar project had received thousands of pounds in grant funding. The group will hold its third meeting on January 29 at Stowmarket Town Council offices.