BACKERS of an innovative Forest 'bioshelter' where fruit and vegetables will be grown in the air in a watery mist, say they're "quietly confident" about winning a share of the £3m at stake in a Big Lottery competition.

The latest plans for the Shepherd's Purse bioshelter in Mitcheldean were submitted to the joint BBC and Lottery 'Village SOS' project this week.

The six finalist's chosen from a shortlisted 28 will win funding of up to £400,000 each and take part in a primetime BBC One series to be shown this winter.

Neil Batt who is fronting Mitcheldean's bid says getting through to the shortlist gave them £10,000 to develop plans and they've put forward the idea of growing organic food using 'aeroponics'.

"It's a very different kind of technology and means growing plants with roots suspended in the air while moisture is blasted into the shelter. It produces highly nutricious food a lot more efficiently with no chemicals and at lower cost. As far as we know this has never been done before in this country.

"We're now through to the final stages of the competition and have a one in four chance. But we believe we've got a strong bid and are quietly confident."

It is intended that organic fruit and vegetables will be grown in the 10,000 sq ft bioshelter – like a giant greenhouse – to be built next to Dene Magna School near the centre of Mitcheldean. The food grown will be cropped and distributed to the school, for dinners, and to local retailers, keeping production completely local. The bioshelter itself will be heated using recycled wood in a biomass wood-fuelled boiler.