Car travel

Clean Air:

How to tackle air pollution in our communities

Air pollution is a hidden environmental and health challenge. The most common and hazardous pollutants are:

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a gas that comes from combustion processes powering petrol and diesel vehicles
Particulate matter (PM), small airborne particles released from tyres and brakes.

Air pollution contributes to 43,000 premature deaths each year in the UK.  Health risks from this air pollution include asthma, lung disease, and heart attacks. Air pollution is particularly harmful to children and the elderly.

In Shropshire there are several poor air ‘hotspots’:

Shrewsbury (Castle Hill area) and Bridgnorth (Pound St area) have Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) due to having exceeded 40ug/m3 of NO2.
The M54, A5, A41 and A49 are also major traffic routes.
There are also industrial and industrialised agricultural sites.

What can we do to improve air quality?

Avoid driving into towns, especially at peak times. Use the park and ride for Shrewsbury and local bus and trains where you can.
Walk or cycle for shorter routes if you can.
Do not sit in your car and have the engine running (idling). Not only is this illegal (Highway Code rule 123) but it reduces the vehicle’s fuel economy, costs money, and creates pollution. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and produces more emissions than stopping and restarting the engine does.
Use this guide and email proforma to report engine idling to Shropshire Council.
Read more information on engine idling.

(data from Living Streets and Shropshire Council)

20's Plenty

www.20splenty.org/briefings

20's Plenty for Us is a national movement with almost 700 local groups, campaigning for a speed limit of 20mph on residential streets and in town and village centres.

Most of the UK's larger cities have adopted 20mph for their residential streets
28 million people in the UK live in places where 20mph is the urban/village norm
At least 8 Shropshire town councils endorse the 20's Plenty campaign: Shrewsbury, Shifnal, Oswestry, Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Bishop's Castle, Broseley, Cleobury Mortimer.

There are multiple benefits including road safety, carbon emissions and environmental quality.

Join the 20’s Plenty Facebook Campaigner’s Group or go to the 20's Plenty website.

Photo credit: 20's Plenty

Car share clubs

Co Wheels was set up to provide an environmentally friendly, community-based alternative to car ownership.

Co Wheels has grown to become the UK’s largest community interest car club operator, operating pay-as-you go car clubs, pool car fleet management and franchise operations in over 60 towns and cities across the UK with a 24/7 call centre.

Co Wheels’ Shropshire Car Club has cars in Shrewsbury and Ludlow. You can join this Shropshire car share club here.

CoMoUK is a national organisation that provides help with setting up new car share clubs

Electric Vehicles

Sustainable Bridgnorth’s leaflet provides useful information on using electric vehicles for both short and longer journeys, how to charge your car at home and the costs involved.

CANCELLED
Shrewsbury North West Relief Road

At a Shropshire Council cabinet meeting on the 9th July 2025, Shropshire Council's new leader, Cllr Heather Kidd, declared the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road "dead in the water".

This is a huge victory in terms of preventing ~140,000 tonnes of emissions and massive nature destruction, including the loss of veteran trees like the Darwin Oak. Campaigners across Shropshire helped make this happen by raising the alarm about the project's spiralling costs and environmental damage, helping to ensure it didn't progress.

The proposed road was due to be constructed between the A5 at Welshpool Road roundabout to the Ellesmere Road roundabout and estimated to emit about 70,000 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), taking until at least 2070 to offset these emissions.

Read our objection here

Read our Independent Critical Assessment