< Back Another successful year for CPRE Shropshire's Hedgerow Heros project Sarah Jameson 2 Apr 2025 6 kilometres of new hedgerow planted across Shropshire CPRE Shropshire’s Hedgerow Heroes project is coming to the end of its fourth year. This winter we have successfully planted over 6km of new native hedgerow in the Shropshire countryside on a mix of sites from working farms and smallholdings to community Scout camps and primary schools. We would like to thank all the wonderful volunteers – nearly 300 of them! – who have come out to help us in rain and shine to plant – we really could not have done it without their help, support and continued enthusiasm. There are two outlier events to go: on 21 May we have our final art workshop at Wheathill near Ludlow: a cyanotype session (printmaking with plants and the sun), led by Shrewsbury artist Andrew Howe. In September there will be a talk and walk all about the field names of the upper Clun at Newcastle Community Centre. To book on either of these events, email Sarah or keep an eye on our website . Previous Next

< Back South Shropshire farmers working together for environmental benefit Kate Mayne 9 Jan 2024 Report from the Clee View Farmers Group In the Clee Hills area of South Shropshire a farmers group instigated by the local community is proving the benefit of working together. The Clee View Farmers Group was set up in June 2022 and currently has a membership of 57 farmers across 13,321 hectares. The group’s aim is to share learning and seek practical solutions to producing affordable food whilst dealing with environmental challenges such protecting & enhancing biodiversity and reducing emissions of carbon, phosphates, ammonia etc. Over the last year and a half the group has held events on herbal leys, rotational grazing systems, soil health and more. There have been talks on priority species, research into new biodiversity markets & even a debate about rewilding with WWF. The group has undertaken carbon foot-printing on 38 member farms and in 2024 will be working to understand the main Greenhouse Gas emissions from farm practices in the area and what can be done to reduce them. The group’s soil health testing programme in 2023 delivered some fascinating results and highlighted some real positives from current farming practices. For both arable and grassland samples from 54 farms the average organic matter content of soils was high & carbon stocks were above the national average. There is lots more work to do in 2024 as the group considers what can be done to enhance the nature recovery network whilst maintaining food production on our fertile soils. For more information please contact Kate Mayne: Katyjmayne@gmail.com Previous Next

< Back Our new Walk Through Bridgnorth’s Green Spaces leaflet Fiona Morgan 1 Jun 2023 Part of SSCA's series of walk leaflets for towns in South Shropshire A new self-guided walk leaflet has been launched by Sustainable Bridgnorth, South Shropshire Climate Action and Bridgnorth Library who have kindly funded the leaflet. The Walk Through Bridgnorth’s Green Spaces leaflet aims to support local people’s connection to Nature with a walk that connects the green spaces in the High and Low town and highlights the wildlife that can be spotted along the way, including peregrine falcons, otters, bats, insects and kingfishers. The walk contains a number of routes to meet people’s needs including a more accessible route (which will incorporate both the High and Low town once the funicular railway is back in operation), to a more strenuous route which uses some of the steeper steps in the town. It also features some suggested extensions to enable people to explore the lesser-known wildlife spots in the town, including at Bridgnorth Cemetery, Daniel’s Mill, The Dingle and Crown Meadow and Well Meadow where Bug Life have been creating B-Line to provide stepping-stones of habitat so pollinators can move through our town to feed, mate and rest. It is hoped that this self guided walk leaflet will be used by individuals and groups to promote their physical and mental wellbeing through connecting to the pockets of Nature that exist in Bridgnorth. The walk will be used by social prescriber networks in Shropshire to encourage people to get active. A3 posters of the walk will be located across town at Bridgnorth Library (where the walk starts and ends), health settings, schools and tourist hotspots such as Severn Valley Railway to encourage sustainable tourism. Both the walk leaflet and the A3 posters feature QR codes so people can access the walk via the new South Shropshire Climate Action website to promote sustainability. An inaugural walk is being held for the launch of the walk leaflet on Saturday 17th June 2023 – meeting for a 10am start outside Bridgnorth Library, Listley Street, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 4AW). The inaugural walk will be led by Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Bridgnorth Branch. It will last approx. 2 hours with plenty of breaks to take in the views and learn about the wildlife and plant life enroute. You are welcome to come along and explore all the Nature that Bridgnorth has to offer. The Walk Through Ludlow’s Green Spaces leaflet is also in the process of being revised (as 1000 copies of the first edition were snapped up in the past year) and the new version is due to be released soon so watch this space. Previous Next

< Back Celebrating the launch of our walk through Ludlow’s green spaces leaflet Trice Astill 4 Oct 2023 Connecting residents and visitors to Ludlow's urban green spaces On the 4th October representatives from local Ludlow organisations, including Ludlow Library, Hands Together Ludlow, and Friends of Whitcliffe Common, joined us for an evening stroll around the town’s green spaces using the recently republished walk leaflet produced by Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s Ludlow branch and SSCA and designed by local artist Sarah Jameson. We wound our way around the castle walls, through the gardens, past the sycamore tree, leaves still green, onto the high paths overlooking the Teme and down to the Millenium Green. Over the Dinham Bridge and along the Bread Walk by the river, past the rock layers, waterfall, weirs and salmon run. We walked up the steps to Whitcliffe, following the path to Ludford and over the bridge to Lower Broad Street then up past the Butter Cross to St Laurence’s Church and the Jubilee Garden. There our walk ended as dusk fell. If you know Ludlow you might consider why this short walk took us nearly 2 hours? That is the purpose of the walk: we took time – time to “stand and stare” and really look for wildlife and to listen to birdsong and to sounds of the river, time to breathe and relax, time to talk, to get to know each other and to swap information and knowledge. We saw mistletoe above the insect hides on the tree by the castle, goosanders diving on the Teme by Dinham Bridge among the mallards, dippers on the rocks by Ludford bridge and a farewell flypast of swans at sunset over the Readers House. We heard blackbirds alarm calling, the chatter of jackdaws and winter song of robins. We admired the linear garden in pots along Lower Broad Street and the flower colours glowing in the lowering light and finally enjoyed the peace of the Jubilee Garden. Members of the group noted how the walk is an opportunity to discover a different side to Ludlow “ Although I’ve lived here all my life and played here as a child, with the group I’m seeing it in a new way “; and to take a step back from a busy life: “ It’s been so relaxing after work. I wouldn’t normally have done something like this but it’s helped me destress ”; and engage and learn about the natural world: “I love the soothing sound of the river, just being near water ”. It also offered us a more engaging way to get to know one another while walking outside, rather than meeting around a table. The three aims of producing the map and walk were for residents and visitors to discover, observe and enjoy the wildlife in Ludlow town, improve people’s mental and physical wellbeing by connecting to Nature and offer a sustainable tourism option for visitors. If you or your organisation are interested in the Walk Through Ludlow’s Green Spaces leaflet you can download your own copy as well as an A3 poster of the walk from SSCA’s new website here . Alternatively Ludlow residents can obtain a paper copy free of charge from the Hands Together Ludlow office and visitors can access them from Ludlow Visitor Information Centre (for a small cost). Previous Next

< Back Visit to Keele University’s smart energy network demonstrator site Mike Bourke 27 Feb 2024 A joint visits by SSCA, ZCS and Shropshire Council staff and elected members On the 27 February Mike Bourke (Stretton Climate Care/SSCA) and David Matthews (Zero Carbon Shropshire) visited Keele University together with five elected members of Shropshire Council’s Climate and Carbon Reduction Advisory Group and four council officers (the Assistant Director Commercial Services, the Climate Change Manager, the Communications Officer and the Video, Photography and Digital Content Officer). This followed a visit the previous week by Shropshire Council’s planning officers. Professor Trevor McMillan, the Vice-Chancellor, stressed the importance to the University of partnerships with local and regional industries and Councils in developing technical and community responses to the climate crisis. The Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) offers a practical model and research facility, backed by student courses and educational programmes (“from Skills Bootcamps to PhD’s”) to assist the development of policies and the training of apprentices and the existing workforce. The University is able to serve as an honest broker, independent of commercial or political agendas, to promote co-operation between interested parties and the general public and is already working with Staffordshire Council, and Rugeley and Dudley. Professor Zoe Robinson, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures, elaborated on these collaborations. Matt Dean, SEND Research and Innovation Manager, and Julian Read, Partnership Development Manager, described the Energy Park with its solar array, wind turbines and industrial battery, the relationship with the National Grid, and the associated Green Hydrogen production unit. The Shropshire delegation undertook to report back to their colleagues and explore opportunities. They welcomed Keele’s statement that “We have the staff, the students and the funding to help you”. Previous Next

< Back SSCA at Bridgnorth Green Festival Fiona Morgan 9 Sept 2023 Sharing climate action information, swapping and sharing resources and providing energy efficiency advice We had a great time at the second Bridgnorth Green Festival on Saturday 9th September. The event was really well organised by Sustainable Bridgnorth and held on a blazing hot day. We talked to lots of people about what we and other group in our network do on climate and Nature action. We also had a swap stand and people enjoyed the opportunity to reuse and swap items as part of #secondhandseptember . We rehomed lots of gardening gloves, baking equipment, picture frames, clothes, books and a dog bowl among other items! Thank you everyone for your support and donations! Our volunteers were also running the retrofit exhibition stand, providing advice and information to people on how to make their homes more energy efficient and reduce carbon and heating bills in the process. Previous Next

< Back Aims of the Climate Conference for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin: 18th May Sarah Gibson 10 Apr 2024 Why we need to accelerate change and spur on climate action in our communities A conference at Shrewsbury Town Football Club on Saturday 18 May will bring people together to inspire and stimulate them to act within their communities to address the urgent changes required to bring about net zero. “The challenges are immense,” said Colin Preston of Zero Carbon Shropshire, one of the event organisers. “Carbon emissions in the Shropshire Council area are currently 2.5 million tonnes per year, we need to get this down to 1 million tonnes by 2030. In the Telford & Wrekin area emissions are 1 million tonnes per year and this needs to come down to 0.5 million tonnes by 2030.” Young people, who stand to be most affected by the consequences of climate change, will take a leading part in running the conference, including participants from Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s Environmental Leadership Programme for 18 – 25 year-olds. “ Our young leaders are passionate about finding new and different ways to do things and making change that starts in communities. As well as being a great opportunity for them to meet and create connections with organisations working towards the same goals in the county, they will be helping to draw out key actions that will be taken by communities going forward from this day,” said Jen Allerton, Youth Engagement Officer at Shropshire Wildlife Trust. During the morning there will be a series of short talks. First up will be Dr Sam Hampton, a climate behaviour expert from Bath University, who will talk about the power of individuals to influence the political agenda and make lifestyle choices that drive down emissions when action is taken collectively, helping to keep the global temperature rise within safe limits. Other speakers will focus on the particular challenges faced by different sectors including land, nature, food and farming; transport, energy and housing and the circular economy. The afternoon will bring people together into workshops to explore and share skills and knowledge with the aim of encouraging public engagement and collaboration. Tickets available now The conference is open to individuals, groups and businesses. Tickets can be booked at Eventbrite with the option either to make a donation or for free tickets. Lunch is provided. Environmental groups and small businesses are invited to take out a stand at the conference for a small fee. To register an interest in this please complete the online form . The event is being organised by Zero Carbon Shropshire, South Shropshire Climate Action and Save Our Shropshire and sponsored by Shropshire Homes and Kier. “As a company which has implemented its own green initiative, Shropshire Homes is pleased to support the Climate Conference. We believe it is an important event to encourage the county’s organisations to work together to make a real difference to climate change in Shropshire and the wider area,” said Rebecca Hayward. Previous Next

< Back Launch of the second share offer by Shropshire and Telford Community Energy Dave Green 17 Jul 2025 Investment in Tremlowes Solar Farm in North Shropshire off to a good start! This summer saw the launch of the second share offer by Shropshire and Telford Community Energy. The fantastic news is that they have already raised £140,000 in the new share offer. This is nearly halfway to the minimum target of £300,000 and a third of the way to the main target of £500,000. Thanks to all who've invested so far, including 32 new investors. If you haven't invested yet the offer will be open until Oct 19th. The minimum investment is £250, every little helps, offering a target interest rate of 6%. We expect to be able to repay the share capital within 11 years. We have already paid out the first 6% interest to our initial investors but future payments are not guaranteed. If you know anyone else who might be interested please pass it on. See www.stcenergy.org.uk for full details. The first share offer succeeded in raising the funds necessary to purchase the 10MW solar farm at Prees Heath. This has enabled the delivery of significant community benefits local to the site, but also further afield across Shropshire, including Telford & Wrekin. For example, we financially supported the Festival Drayton Centre in its investment in rooftop solar PV to reduce its energy costs and generate income from exported electricity. We are similarly supporting Wellington Orbit with funds towards their current programme of improvements. This second share offer will help us secure the solar farm and our ability to deliver increasing community benefits to the people of Shropshire. Previous Next

< Back Bishop’s Castle receives £238k for local nature projects Bernard Edwards, chair of the Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle Steering Group 27 Feb 2024 Apply for a job opportunity by Monday 11th March Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle is celebrating an award of £238k from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to hire staff as coordinators to support the community to develop and implement local wildlife and nature projects. The group has been working with community groups over the last two years with projects in and around Bishop’s Castle focused on the ecological management of local land, including building and installing swift boxes and establishing meadowlands on local properties. Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle has become known for its winter talks and summer activities series. The ‘Going Wild Kid’s Club’ also provides an extracurricular outdoor education and bushcraft club for young people in the community. The grant, secured with help from Enterprise House, will allow Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle to hire a part-time coordinator and a part-time assistant to support the development, delivery and monitoring of local biodiversity projects. Bernard Edwards, chair of the Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle Steering Group said “This will help us increase wildlife locally and share our activities with a wider audience to showcase the potential of community-level rewilding. Above all, this is about joining the people of Bishop’s Castle to learn together and celebrate our landscape through embracing nature”. Town councillor Grant Perry said “The town council is delighted to have supported and continues to support Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle. This project helps us contribute to the town’s Climate and Nature Recovery Plan.” The Project Co-ordinator role will be based out of Enterprise House. Prospective applicants are invited to review the job description on the website . Application closing date: Monday, 11 th March. Previous Next

< Back Joint meeting of South Shropshire Climate Action and Stretton Climate Care with Philip Dunne MP Mike Bourke 6 Jan 2023 Voicing concerns about climate action in the UK to our MP The meeting was attended by Philip Dunne (MP), Jane Cullen and Simon Ross represented South Shropshire Climate Action, Jon Cooke and Mike Bourke represented Stretton Climate Care. Each section of this report begins with the questions/comments we sent to PD in advance, followed (in bold) by a summary of his responses and our discussion. 1. We would like to thank you for your interest and support for our work, and for all that you do with the Environmental Audit Committee to hold the Government to account. We are especially grateful for the question you put to our new Prime Minister following COP 27, which prompted his pledge to the Net Zero Carbon targets, and also for the opposition which the EAC expressed to the proposed expansion of coal mining in Cumbria and Wales. Because of his responsibilities as Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), PD does not comment on topics which are being dealt with by the Committee and which will be the subject of an official Report. This is why he has not previously shared with us his personal views on oil and gas licences in the North Sea, or on land-based wind generation. These have now been dealt with in the Report “Accelerating the transition from fossil fuels and securing energy supplies” , which has just been published: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/33366/documents/180604/default/ These Reports have to be replied to by the relevant Government Department(s) within a limited time frame. 2. We are, as you know, very unhappy about the go-ahead given for this new coal extraction and also about the licenses for new oil and gas projects in UK waters. We understand the energy security issues created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and also the argument about jobs. But our concerns are twofold: · First, they send mixed messages to our own people and to other countries about the wholeheartedness of our commitment to Net Zero Carbon. We face an uphill struggle of public education, and people say, “If the Government isn’t consistent and serious about phasing out fossil fuels, why should we be?” · Secondly, the time scale involved risks derailing our progress. Dominic Carver’s paper in the House of Commons Library states that the achievement of NZC by 2050 requires a 78% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035. But these new fossil fuel extraction projects cannot be just short-term responses to the present situation. To be viable they must operate profitably well beyond 2035. Can you tell us, please, what you and the EAC see as the implications for the timetable, and the relationship between the present energy security emergency and the longer-term (and greater) climate emergency? The Oil and Gas Authority (which issues the licences) has now been renamed “The North Sea Transition Authority”, to send a clear message about the intention to phase out fossil fuels in due course. The EAC welcomes this and proposes that now is the time for the transition to begin. However, there is currently a backlog of about 200 oil and gas licenses to be allocated for the period since 2020. Many of these are for the “infilling” of small areas within existing large extraction zones. These licenses should enable extraction to come on stream within 3 years, with a period of 10-20 years before the source is exhausted. Licenses for extraction from new zones may take up to 10 years to come on stream, which means some extraction going on beyond 2050. The official definition of Net Zero Carbon accepts that some fossil fuel burning will continue beyond 2050, but this will have to be offset. Whether companies will take up these new licenses and invest depends on a combination of price and taxes. Hitherto British taxes on gas and oil extraction have been lower than the international average, but have now been increased to one of the highest, at 75% (Norway has the highest at 78%). The allowances for development and decommissioning which were previously available only for fossil fuels have now been extended to renewables, to create a level playing field. We expressed our disappointment that these new licences were being considered at all. PD replied that the Ukraine War had created new uncertainties about energy security, and the electorate would not forgive a government which let the lights go out. 3. We welcome the support expressed by leading Conservatives, in the context of the energy security problem, for relaxing the present restrictions on land-based wind turbines which are, as you know, the cheapest and most effective form of renewable electricity generation. We would like to know your own view on this, please. PD is now clear that a greater use of land-based wind generation is desirable, dependent on public support. One issue is the fear expressed to him by some constituents about the effect of wind turbines on the value of their houses. PD now wants the EAC to work on national guidelines for obtaining public support, including schemes which offer customers reductions in electricity prices. He agreed with us that it would be good to encourage special discounts or benefits for households in fuel poverty. In particular we would like to ask you if there is anything specific you can do to support the Net Zero project in Bishops Castle which includes a wind turbine, and for which there is strong local support despite the planning difficulties and the omission of the project from the Town Council’s Neighbourhood Plan? PD will contact Mike Watkins and Dave Green again to discuss support for the Bishops Castle project. 4. The ambition of SSCA is to achieve Net Zero Carbon in South Shropshire by 2030. We recognise the heroic nature of this aspiration, but the urgency is, in any case, the same if we are to meet the Government’s own interim targets. In co-operation with Zero Carbon Shropshire we are building a coalition of committed volunteers and organisations around the themes of Land and Biodiversity, Transport, Energy and Buildings and Communications and Education, and our two half-time project leaders Nick Read and Fiona Morgan are co-ordinating our work into an effective strategy. We would welcome your leadership and public support in making this Constituency a role model for other rural areas. In particular we have come to appreciate the enormous challenge of retrofitting the many thousands of homes in the Constituency for Net Zero Carbon. Promising developments include: · the Future Ready Homes project funded by the Energy Redress Fund and managed by MEA, · the work of Lightfoot Enterprises, · the policies of Connexus in the social housing sector, · and the exploration by Sustainable Bridgnorth and Shropshire Council of a heat network scheme involving PV and land-based wind generation in co-operation with local industry. In short, there is a wealth of initiatives and goodwill. But we find ourselves facing some considerable hurdles, and would welcome your advice and encouragement. i) A serious retrofit programme will require the upskilling of builders and contractors, and there are few retrofit specialists among our architects and surveyors. Net Zero Carbon are talking with the Colleges and industry bodies, but progress is limited by the lack of a sense of urgency. Simon Ross shared MEA’s experience of Housing Associations having to employ large national companies of varying quality in their retrofit schemes, and PD agreed with us about the urgency of training local retrofit specialists and upskilling contractors. He is interested in finding out about the work of N-MITE in Hereford in this area, and will explore the idea of convening a Construction Summit with Adrian Cooper and representatives of training institutions like Vicky Ayton at Shrewsbury College. ii) NZC will require a significant upgrade in the capacity of the Grid. Do you know what local impact this will have on the timetable for domestic retrofit, electric vehicles and the expansion of renewable generation? A recent meeting with the National Grid (which now owns Western Power) has made PD aware of the substantial increase in electricity consumption which the transition to NZC will involve. This will require the upgrading of the grid at a much higher rate than that allowed under the present investment rules, in order to create the capacity for new solar and wind generation farms to be connected as well as to supply more power to businesses and homes. PD is exploring the possibility of an EAC inquiry into this issue. iii) Those promoting the Bishops Castle and Bridgnorth schemes find that the planning system does not give the necessary priority to the achievement of Net Zero Carbon. iv) PD was not aware of the latest position on the Bridgnorth scheme, and will contact Simon Vickers. The planning issues are included in the recent EAC Report. v) Both householders and businesses find long-term planning and investment frustrated by ever changing Government policies, grants and incentive schemes. We sympathize with the difficulties faced by the Government, but how do we create some stability and a long-term, cross-party approach which will enable us all to move forward with confidence? PD and the EAC are very aware of the importance of a stable planning and incentive environment for investment decisions by households and businesses and also for the upskilling of contractors and the training of the future workforce. He accepts that recent performance in these areas has been discouraging. Previous Next

< Back Is this the greenest house in Telford? Tony Baker and Fiona Morgan 17 Sept 2024 Hear how local home owner, Mike King, has created a carbon neutral home Telford resident, Mike King, is the proud owner of the largest domestic solar array in Shropshire, featuring a whopping 48 panels. Not only does Mike’s whole house – and 2 cars – run on green clean electricity - Mike actually makes money on his energy bills! You can hear Mike talking about the adaptations he has made to his property to make it carbon neutral on the BBC Radio Shropshire - Clare Ashford Show on the 17 September here . The interview is at 1 hour 53 mins and 2 hours 24 mins into the programme. You can read more about Mike’s inspiring home via the Future Ready Homes website . You can visit Mike’s house as part of the Green Open Doors event run by local charity Marches Energy Agency, which takes place over 2 weekends, 19–20 October and 26–27 October. The event is a wonderful opportunity to visit some of the ‘greenest’ homes across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and learn from their owners about: Air source heat pumps Solar panels with battery storage Extra insulation EV charging It’s your chance to ask questions of the homeowners to find out why they made the choices they did, and what they learned in the process. The event is free and there are no salesmen. It is the ideal opportunity to gain the confidence and understanding you need to start making energy efficiency improvements to your own home. Start planning your visits to ‘green’ homes near you by using the postcode search here . Previous Next