After the fun of the Tour de Presteigne and the Duck Race, we return to the deadly serious business of climate change.  Stretton Climate Care and 30 other environmental organisations have come together to form Shropshire Environmental Alliance, whose role will be to engage with those seeking to represent us on the new Shropshire Council (and in due course in Parliament) on their views about climate change.

Snow on the Stretton Hills - just a memory?

Shropshire Council’s long term strategy documents include one on climate change, but we want to know what priority the Council will give to these matters.  So far, the decisions by the interim council have been disappointing and show a lack of understanding of the urgency of these matters.  The Alliance has therefore agreed upon four questions to be put to all candidates in the local elections. We give below those questions and shall publish the answers given by the thirteen candidates standing in the three divisions covering the area served by Stretton Climate Care.

The questions are;

1. How will climate change affect the county of Shropshire and what, in your view, are the urgent actions that the Council needs to take?

2. If elected, will you vote to include climate change issues in the list of the Council’s top ten priorities?

3. What further steps should the Council take to raise public awareness and educate people about environmental issues so that they can achieve sustainable lifestyles?

4. What ideas do you have to help people in villages to live, work and stay there so that they are not merely dormitory or commuting satellites?

We have written to the following candidates, asking them to reply by 29 May at the latest:

Burnell Electoral Division

Tim BARKER (Conservative) reply received - click here

Pat STOKES-SMITH (Liberal Democrat) reply received - click here

Church Stretton & Craven Arms Electoral Division (2 seats)

Helen Claire BYRNE (Green) reply received - click here

David William EVANS (Conservative) NO REPLY RECEIVED

David Percival GIBBON (Green) reply received - click here

James Allan GIBSON (Conservative) NO REPLY RECEIVED

Clive Stephen LEWORTHY (Labour) reply received - click here

Mark MORRIS (Independent) reply received - click here

Neville STEPHENS (Liberal Democrat) reply received - click here

Bob WELCH (Liberal Democrat) reply received - click here

James Lloyd WHITTALL (BNP) - NO REPLY RECEIVED

Corvedale Electoral Division

Claude Lowry BODENHAM (Independent) reply received - click here

Cecilia Mary Anne MOTLEY (Conservative) - NO REPLY RECEIVED

All replies will be published on this website and on the Green Shropshire website, where the responses of all candidates across the county can be viewed.