< Back Ludlow Town Council has become the latest Shropshire authority to back the Climate and Ecology Bill. Jane Cullen 15 Mar 2023 More support in Shropshire for the Climate and Ecology Bill. At a meeting on Monday night, councillors decided to unanimously back a motion calling on Ludlow Town Council to express its support for the Bill. The town clerk will now write to South Shropshire MP Philip Dunne, urging him to support the draft legislation as it makes its way through Parliament. So far over 200 UK councils and 125 MPs have expressed their support for it. The Climate & Ecology Bill aims to introduce a new UK law to deal with the full extent of the climate and nature crisis. It would ensure the UK slashes emissions in line with the 1.5C target; reverse UK biodiversity loss by 2030; ensure that the entirety of the UK’s global carbon and ecological footprints are accounted for; and invite the public to be part of the discussion on how to tackle the crisis. Jane Cullen from South Shropshire Climate Action, who spoke in favour of the motion in the public session of the town council meeting, said: ‘ I am pleased and relieved that Ludlow Town Council is backing this Bill. We’re already seeing the effects of the climate and ecological emergency here in South Shropshire, and we’re desperate for new laws to protect us, our beautiful county, and the wildlife we share it with. ’ Ludlow Town Council joins Shropshire, Bishop’s Castle and Ryton & Grindle Parish Councils on the list of Shropshire authorities that have come out in support of the Bill, with motions being tabled at Shrewsbury, Whitchurch, and Oswestry Town Councils later this month. So far only one of Shropshire’s five MPs – Liberal Democrat Helen Morgan – has publicly expressed support for the Bill. It will be reintroduced into Parliament later this Spring. Jamie Russell, a spokesperson for campaign group Zero Hour Shropshire, which is campaigning for the Bill locally, said: ‘ We’re extremely grateful to Ludlow councillors for supporting this motion. At Zero Hour Shropshire we’re hoping that more parish and town councils will back the Bill and we’d love to hear from any councillors who would like to know more about this very simple motion of support. Every Council that gets behind the Bill will help encourage more of Shropshire’s MPs to realise that the time for this vital legislation is now. ’ Previous Next

Shropshire Climate Action: Nature walks leaflets Shropshire Nature Walks leaflets South Shropshire Climate Action, in conjunction with local wildlife groups and libraries, produced a series of Nature Walks leaflets and posters for Shropshire towns, d esigned and illustrated by Sarah Jameson , a South Shropshire artist - we hope you like them! These leaflets can be downloaded below along with posters containing the same information. Bridgnorth Walk Download the Bridgnorth walk leaflet Download the Bridgnorth walk poster Ludlow Walk Download the Ludlow walk leaflet Download the Ludlow walk poster

< Back Shropshire & Telford residents go to Restore Nature Now March in London Fiona Morgan 22 Jun 2024 Coming together to call for urgent action on the Climate and Nature crises Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin were well represented at the Restore Nature Now national march on 22 June with residents from Broseley, Craven Arms, Ludlow, Much Wenlock, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Telford among others, descending on London to make their voices heard. Over 60,000 people were noted to have taken part calling for the Government to take immediate action to address the nature and climate crises and protect and restore our UK wildlife. Among the 350 groups represented included the National Trust, RSPB, Woodland Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, Extinction Rebellion, Surfers Against Sewage, as well as indigenous people from the Global South who are in the direct line of fire from these devastating interconnected crises. Make your vote count for Climate and Nature on the 4 July. Previous Next

< Back The role of the Upper Onny Farmers' group Nick Read with information supplied by Cath Landles 1 Feb 2024 One of the farmers groups in South Shropshire We are fortunate in South Shropshire to have existing landscape-scale farmers’ groups, including the Upper Onny Farmers Group (UOFG), a key component in the restoration of wildlife habitats across 220 square km within the Shropshire Hills National Landscape (the new name for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). UOFG was formed in 2018 and comprises 20 farmers who farm in and around the Upper Onny Valley, which lies in the Shropshire Hills between the Long Mynd and the Welsh Border. The group is co-ordinated by Cath Landles of the Shropshire Hills National Landscape Partnership. Since its launch it has been involved in two Defra Test and Trials of the proposed new Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, produced 17 Whole Farm Plans, delivered 10 farm-based environmental workshops and demonstrations, created and restored hay meadows, species rich grassland and wood pasture, protected water courses, restored hedgerows, created orchards and encouraged a shift towards regenerative farming practices. The current focus is to put together an application to the Landscape Recovery Scheme (LRS), designed to support large-scale projects that require long-term funding to achieve their outcomes. [Photo: Upper Onny Farmers' Group visiting James Rebank’s farm in Cumbria] Previous Next

Shropshire Climate Action: Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin's emissions Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin's emissions We often get questions about whether the county is making progress on reducing its Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. While GHG savings can be measured for say a household or an organisation (using carbon footprinting tools ), and there are some general estimates available of the impacts of particular actions (e.g. not driving a petrol car) based on academic research, there is no easy way of calculating a figure for the county bottom-up. However, we can use the data provided by the Department for Energy and Net Zero which are calculated top-down, with Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin apportioned a percentage of the UK emissions based on its geography and characteristics. Below is a progress chart for Green House Gas emissions for Shropshire, Telford& Wrekin. To keep within our carbon budget and to around 1.5C of warming, we need to get to an average of approx 2.5t CO2 emissions per individual in the UK by 2030 so are not currently on track to do that. Shropshire's emissions According to the Impact community carbon calculator* , Shropshire’s residents are responsible for emitting 3,467,883 tonnes of CO2e per annum.** This pie chart shows the relative impact of the Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHGs) across the sectors represented in the South Shropshire Climate Action “Next Steps” report. * The Impact tool has been developed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy and Exeter University as a data visualisation tool which allows you to look at household emissions within geographical boundaries (parishes, local authority areas, etc). **(CO2e stands for Carbon Dioxide equivalent; the warming impacts of any GHG can be measured relative to that of a molecule of CO2, the standard unit of measurement). A note on data There are many carbon calculators and each measures greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in different ways. Comparing the results from different calculators can lead to misunderstandings or false conclusions. Please read this even if, or especially if, data is not your thing. When South Shropshire Climate Action wrote the Next Steps report transport’s contribution to Shropshire’s GHGs was assessed at 37%. This was based on the most accurate published data at the time from the UK government, but the government data did not include any assessment for the two most significant agricultural GHGs, methane and nitrous oxide. In more recent published data sets these two GHGs have been added, and this changes the percentage contributions from other sources, such as transport. Thus, the Impact Calculator assesses agriculture as 27% and transport as 32%. It is important to understand that the apparent reduction in transport’s contribution to Shropshire’s GHG emissions is not because there has been a decrease in transport emissions, but reflects that agricultural emissions were significantly under stated in older published datasets. The two most significant sectors for GHGs in Shropshire remain as agriculture and transport, and both need to be addressed if we are to reach net zero.

Shropshire Climate Action: Transport Transport Transport affects all areas of our lives and impacts on personal and envi ronmental health. Walking and cycling more can help reduce heart diseases, obesity and diabetes. But this requires improvements in road safety, such as a 20 mile per hour speed limits on residential streets and cycle lanes. Research in 2017 showed that most trips are relatively short: 24% of trips were under 1 mile, and 68% under 5 miles. There is significant potential to car share, use public transport or active transport (walking and cycling), provided the right infrastructure is in place - and that is a particular issue in rural Shropshire. You can read South Shropshire Climate Action's (SSCA) '15 Asks' concerning transport which were presented to Shropshire Council. Active travel Buses Car travel Trains & Planes SSCA's 15 'Asks' Here are our top tips for reducing your transport carbon emissions 1

Shropshire Climate Action: Land & Biodiversity Land & biodiversity Farmers are the wardens of our land. In their hands lies both great potential and great challenges – feeding a growing population whilst also restoring ecological health. Land use is crucial to achieve a net zero carbon future as the land represents a significant sink in which to store carbon. Many Shropshire farmers are pioneering new methods of agricultural production and the industry as a whole has committed to achieve a net zero carbon future. The climate crisis will test our food supply chains and there will be a need to build local food resilience and local food networks. SCA wants to lend support, share best practice and be an advocate for positive change. To join Shropshire Climate Action's Land and Biodiversity Working Group which meets regularly please email: contact@shropshireclimateaction.org We also do this in collaborative partnerships, as active members of: The Marches Nature Partnership The Shropshire Hills National Landscape Team (the new name for this designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) Partnership Board, and its Climate Group Shropshire Good Food Partnership South Shropshire Climate Action's Next Steps report identified a menu of opportunities for positive land use and a toolkit for change. Implementation of this menu rests with a range of collaborative partners and local initiatives. Land management Nature & biodiversity Food Water Gardening Nature walks

< Back SSCA met with Philip Dunne (MP for the Ludlow Constituency) Nick Read 11 Apr 2023 SSCA discussed our first 6 months and next steps On Tuesday 11th April Jane Cullen (SSCA Chair), Fiona Morgan and Nick Read (SSCA Project Co-ordinators) met local MP Philip Dunne. Although Philip had met both Jane and Nick previously this was an opportunity to introduce Fiona and to highlight the progress that had been made since the appointment of the two Project Coordinators in June. He was impressed with the level of activity within his constituency, the degree of coordination and collaboration that was being achieved, but also recognised the need to significantly increase climate-related actions. A sense of urgency had been engendered by a recent visit of the Environmental Audit Committee (which Philip chairs) to the UK Arctic Research Station, whose scientists warn that global warming is proceeding faster in arctic regions than had been predicted. Philip also indicated that the Climate and Ecology Bill (currently going through the House of Lords) was unlikely to have enough parliamentary time to succeed in the House of Commons. On a more positive note he wanted to use his influence to enable clusters of farmers to work together on landscape scale interventions. Previous Next

Shropshire Climate Action: Community actions What can you do as a community? Climate Fresk at Ludlow Quaker Meeting House Book a Climate Fresk workshop: learn about the climate crisis and what you can do to help Climate Fresk is a 3 hour facilitated workshop where you can get to grips with climate change in small groups in a safe, non-judgemental space, learn how to take action and enjoy some thought-provoking discussions. The workshops explore key drivers, mechanisms, and impacts of climate change, and map out where we are today and where we could be headed if we join forces. Previous participants have said: ‘I knew a fair bit about climate change but I learned so much new stuff. It was incredibly powerful sharing ideas in the group and understanding how everything is connected. We discussed next steps we could take and I left feeling focused and upbeat’. If you are a community group or group of friends living in Shropshire or Telford & Wrekin and want to book a half day Climate Fresk workshops which includes all the materials, find out more via the BizEd Projects website or email climate@bizedprojects.com Sign up to a Biodiversity Collage workshop "The global rate of species extinction is already at least tens to hundreds of times higher than the average rate over the past 10 million years and is accelerating. " IPBES, 2019 Join a biodiversity collage workshop to explore the pressing issue of biodiversity loss. Despite its critical importance, biodiversity receives far less attention than climate change, yet both are intertwined and pose significant threats to humanity. Based on the IPBES report, our interactive workshop offers a fun, collaborative, and visual exploration of biodiversity challenges. Here's what we'll cover: Starters: Work in groups to recreate ecosystems and uncover the impacts of human disturbance. Organise the collage: Connect the dots between 39 cards to understand biodiversity's significance, how it supports human life and how it is being degraded. Transform your collage into art: Decorate and title your creation Debrief and action planning: Reflect on insights gained and collectively develop action plans to halt biodiversity loss. Find out more via the BizEd Projects website or email climate@bizedprojects.com Set up a Carbon Watchers group The Carbon Watchers Project (CW) is loosely based on the philosophy of Weight Watchers: encouragement, no blame or shame, sharing ideas to reduce our personal carbon footprint. It encourages members of both formal and informal groups (friends, neighbours, clubs) to work towards reducing their carbon footprints, using any of the tools suggested on this website. Click here for a toolkit on how to set up a Carbon Watchers group. The Great Collaboration is an online Toolkit which contains 60 different carbon reducing actions you can take rated by cost and carbon impact. This includes a section on how you can join with other people to use your voice to call for change. Start a climate conversation We are Possible recommends talking about the climate crisis to our friends, family, colleagues and neighbours, which can help empower others to understand the crisis we face and take action. Inspiring local actions are already happening, and we can strengthen these and generate further impetus by sharing our experience and knowledge. To get you started here are some questions to start the conversation …. What’s the best thing your group/organisation/ school has done in the last year to help cut greenhouse gas emissions or loss of natural habitat? What’s the most important thing you want to do next? What will help you do that? … and here are some ideas to consider for your community or group. Contact us to find out more. Read the Action Learning Report on decarbonising Shropshire communities South Shropshire Climate Action received a grant from Shropshire Council in December 2023 to explore how communities in Shropshire can achieve Net Zero by 2030. Four community groups participated in the project including: a school - St George's CE Academy, Clun a small rural parish council - Llanfair Waterdine a local faith group - Ludlow Quaker Meeting House a project run by a local charity - Community Climate Connectors Project (Marches Energy Agency). The final report reveals which which strategies are most effective in encouraging participation in activities designed to reduce carbon emissions at a community level and what barriers and challenges lay in the way of the groups making progress. Read the report

< Back Shropshire Council's plans for the North West Relief Road (NWRR) continue Fiona Morgan 1 Mar 2023 End the de facto ban on on-shore wind Shropshire Council has submitted 100 new planning documents for the NWRR to try and allay some of the concerns raised by statutory consultees such as the Environment Agency and Natural England in response to the first planning application (2021). However, according to Better Shrewsbury Transport, the revisions do not address any of the fundamental issues with the road which includes the destruction of wildlife habitat including ancient trees and vital hedgerows and the production of at least 50,000 tonnes of carbon. Moreover the revisions have increased the total area of land affected by the road by 40%. Shropshire Council is planning to spend at least £87 million, plus an unlimited overspend on constructing the NWRR. This is despite a recent Shropshire Council budget consultation asking for views on how to make £50 million in savings. A new round of public consultation is open if you wish to comment on the revised NWRR plans: you can email planning.northern@shropshire.gov.uk using the planning application reference no. 21/00924/EIA in the Subject and make sure you include your name and address or comment via the Shropshire Council Planning portal or use the online form found on the Road To Ruin Shropshire website The deadline for comments is 11 March 2023. However, Better Shrewsbury Transport hope that emails will be taken into account until the planning officers submit their report in May 2023. For more information about the history of the road and campaign please see the Better Shrewsbury Transport website. Meanwhile in Wales.... The Welsh Government following the review of their National Transport Plan has made the decision to scrap all major road building projects in Wales and ensure all future roads must pass a strict criteria including that they must not increase carbon emissions. Read the full article by Teleri Glyn Jones in the BBC online (published 14/2/23) here . Previous Next

< Back Shropshire's North West Relief Road update Julie Howe 1 Oct 2024 What is the current status of Shropshire Council's planned road around the north-west of Shrewsbury ? With a new MP who has spoken out against the planned ‘relief’ road and a new national government which has announced a review of the previous administration’s ‘unfunded’ road building projects, what is happening with the controversial North West Relief Road (NWRR) plan? Shropshire Council continues to pursue the plan, and has decided to complete planning permission before presenting the full business case to a council meeting later this year. The council website still states that they expect works to begin in summer 2025, with completion by 2026, despite this late date for bringing the business case to council. Campaigners against the road are raising funds to seek a judicial review once planning permission is in place, which means the scheme may be subject to further delay. Zero Carbon Shropshire has made an assessment of the scheme and concluded that it does not support it on the grounds that it would impede Shropshire’s aim of reaching Net Zero Carbon by 2030. Shrewsbury Town Council is not in favour of the road scheme; the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water have both raised significant concerns about the risk that the road poses to water supply and Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Shropshire CPRE have also objected based on the impact on the Environment and Nature. Meanwhile, a high-profile campaign continues to grow to save the ‘Darwin Oak’, one of the 36 veteran trees which would be felled if the road goes ahead. A petition to government reached over 108,000 signatures and is due to be handed in to No. 10 by local campaigners and MPs in early October. The ‘Darwin Oak’ is also in the running to win the Tree of the Year 2024 award (voting deadline 21 October). There is also a ‘Darwin Oak’ song...to be released soon. Previous Next

< Back Clean air for Shropshire Sascha Robinson 1 Jul 2025 Tips on how you can help improve air quality including how to tackle engine idling Last month was Clean Air Week. We live in a predominantly rural county and might consider that air pollution is not a local problem, but is this really the case? Air pollution is a hidden environmental and health challenge. The most common and hazardous pollutants from road transport 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.  In 2019, the European Heart Journal reported that toxic air is killing more people than tobacco smoking. As for Shropshire, there are several poor air ‘hotspots’ in the county: with Shrewsbury (Castle Hill area) and Bridgnorth (Pound St area) both having Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) due to having exceeded 40ug/m3 of NO2. The M54, A5, A41 and A49 are also major traffic routes through the county. Recent works near the station in Shrewsbury are part of the council’s strategy to reduce NO2 in the area. There are also industrial and industrialised agricultural sites across the county. 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 as an alternative. 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. Health risks from this air pollution, worsening conditions such as asthma, lung disease, and heart attacks. Air pollution is particularly harmful to children and the elderly. Use this form and email proforma to report engine idling to Shropshire Council Report Engine Idling-step-by-step.docx .pdf Download PDF • 84KB Engine Idling Email Template.docx .pdf Download PDF • 63KB You can find more information on engine idling. (data from Living Streets and Shropshire Council ) Previous Next