Lib Dem controlled Oswestry Town Council had its first meeting on the 21st May and its first decision was to suspend the Climate Change Partnership Panel.

Green Town Councillor Duncan Kerr was left surprised and saddened by this unexpected decision. He said:

“The Climate Change Partnership Panel was created so that Councillors could work with partners like the Shropshire Wildlife Trust to improve biodiversity and reduce carbon emission in our town. The group had been spectacular successful in working with school children to plant 17,000 trees and secure grant funding for projects such as the sedum roofs on the new bus shelters. Neither the public or the panel were consulted on the suspension, and it's been an unpleasant shock for them all. It’s a new Council so only two of the eighteen Councillors have ever attended a meeting (and I'm one of them) so it looks as though the other sixteen were told what to do. They say that they want Environmental Impact Assessments on all Committee reports. I'm sure the Panel would have welcomed this and provided the expertise to write them if they had been allowed to continue. The Lib Dems say that are now reviewing the whole structure of the Council and will consider all options, but as this is the only panel to be suspended, it is obvious that they have already have a plan and work with partners on climate change isn't part of it.

If you, like me feel that this is the wrong thing to do at the wrong time and in the wrong way then please take a moment to go online find the address of your Oswestry Town Councillor and send them your views in an email that way we can ensure that this ill-thought out suspension is as short as possible and we can get back to the task of working wiht key partners to improve the natural environment of Oswestry".

Photo shows one of the many tree planting projects organised by the last Town Council which was Green controlled.