A community care farm, allotments and orchard could be opened in Weymouth within a year.

The therapeutic project at Tumbledown Farm, off Radipole Lane, could also provide a new base for the town council’s plant nursery, parks and open space staff.

Weymouth Town Council is working on the project with Dorset Council, Public Health Dorset and other agencies.

It would be similar to Holtwood Community Farm, a day service provider for adults with mental health problems, autism and other learning difficulties, based on a 15 acre site near Wimborne.

Cllr Dr Jon Orrell says the Tumbledown Farm site represents a ‘tremendous opportunity’ for Weymouth town council.

He told the service committee that the scheme has survived several versions of the Local Plan and had been handed over to the town council at the time of local government change earlier this year.

“It’s ours to deliver..it’s on our land and we can make it happen,” he said.

Cllr Orrell said that he hopes to see ecologically sound buildings on the site with those using it taking part in community agricultural project similar to projects already well established in Bath and East Dorset.

He said the site could be used by a mix of people – those with dementia, learning difficulties, children and young parents, to help improve their mental and physical health.

“I would ask this committee to look at it and be inspired and have a report come back every committee cycle to drive it forward…I would hope that by next year the town clerk can report on the opening of this scheme and how it has been befitting our community.”

Support for the idea came from fellow Green councillor Graham Lambert who described the project as ‘a fantastic opportunity’ for the town.

“This is a major new project which will have implications for people’s health and well being.

“I hope councillors will be able to go along with it,” he said.

Parks and outdoor services manager Tara Williams said a meeting would be held next week with Dorset Council to discuss the next steps. She said that it had long been suggested that the council’s plant nursery move to the site and a feasibility study had been carried out to test whether this was possible.

“The reality is that we can’t do it on our own. We will need Dorset Council,” she said.

The 37-acre site which includes fields and woodland also has two areas of Special Scientific Interest of grassland and water meadow which would have to be protected. A similar project was started in 2014 with the community group, Groundwork South, but it collapsed in 2015 after a reorganisation.