A CIVIC group in Oswestry has objected to Shropshire Council's Local Plan on the grounds of increased rural building will add to the climate crisis.

Oswestry and District Civic Society lodged its objection to the Local Plan Review, stating that it goes against the council's own decision to declare a climate emergency, as rural villages would require great travelling.

Saffron Rainey, the Society’s chairman, said the group have been saying through the consultation period for the Local Plan that village development will be harmful to the environment and urged the council to start over again.

"It is rarely possible to live in a Shropshire Village without a car," he said.

"It is more likely that at least two cars will be necessary for a family to be able to lead a convenient life there.

"We have shown that rural living leads to about nine times as much travelling around as does development which is part of a town, which leads to much higher carbon emissions.

"Public transport in Shropshire is inadequate to support people living in rural villages, and there is little investment in good cycling routes.

"Until we all use electric cars, exhaust emissions are really harmful, siting a house in a rural area is likely to produce as much extra greenhouse gas as a return flight to New York every year.

"We all know there is a big problem with the effect we are having on the climate.

"Shropshire Council has even declared a climate emergency, but their local plan is going in the wrong direction.

"Shropshire Council are partners in the Shropshire Carbon Action Partnership, which has stated that we need to reach zero carbon by 2030, but this plan would build in dangerous carbon emissions for the next century.

"There are much better ways of making sure there are enough houses for Shropshire people.

"The Civic Society showed the way with their Oswestry 2050 plan, but the Council took no notice – time to go back to the drawing board."

The public consultation into the latest version of the Plan has been extended by three weeks and will now close at 5pm on Friday, February 26.