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Aim of The Conservation Group is to:

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Create and connect Green Corridors - to link Wem Rural, Wem Urban, and Wem Moss. Additionally to use these rural and urban corridors to link public and private green spaces, and also create new green spaces and enhance existing ones. The latter will be achieved by appropriate planting of native species of trees, shrubs and other plants. Effectively these foot paths, cycle ways and bridleways would act as rewilding links.

This will benefit:

a. pedestrians, cyclists by allowing increased recreational opportunities;

b. health by allowing movement of people across the area that is not possible without the use of cars – reduce CO2 and NOx;

c. safety by allowing movement of people across the area that is not possible/safe because of the danger from vehicles;

d. the town by providing recreational features so that people do not need to drive to other locations;

e. the environment by the cooling effect of increased level of flora, mitigation of climate heating;

f. tourism by attracting people to the town (hopefully via the railway);

g. local wildlife by the creation of more habitats and allowing movement across those habitats.

 

We must work with the public, and particularly farmers, land owners and conservation scientists, to create this objective of a network of wildlife corridors from Wem as an urban hub through to existing rich environments such as the Mosses and Meres.

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A Plan for the Project

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The project itself would need to follow these steps

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1. Survey existing footpaths to look at their practical and environmental characteristics.

2. Contact appropriate farmers, landowners and conservation groups to elicit support

3. look to additional necessary links to extend footpath network (with or without rights of way)

4. Bid for funding as needed

5. Implement scheme.

 

First Steps

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As a start we should investigate and survey the existing footpath network both within and radiating out from Wem:

a. Existing footpaths (countryside) –

- Are they still accessible?

- Could they be upgraded or expanded?

b. Existing footpaths (urban) –

- Do they offer easy access to centres so that cars are unnecessary for journeys? If not, why not?

- Are footpaths (and short cuts) safe and attractive?

c. What is their quality in terms of the local ecosystem?

• Are footpaths clearly signposted?

 

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