AN OSWESTRY councillor is calling on her fellow members to ask Shropshire County Pension Fund (SCPF) to no longer invest in companies such as BP and Shell Oil.

Councillor Olly Rose, who is a Green Party member, has put forward a motion to Wednesday's full Oswestry Town Council asking the fund to divest their money within three years from fossil fuel companies.

She wants the council, which is a member of SCPF, to officially ask them to consider putting its investment elsewhere, which is advised by Fossil Free Shropshire.

Cllr Rose's motion said: "In December 2018, Oswestry Town Council declared a climate emergency, being one of the first to make this commitment.

"However, it continues to support the SCPF which has millions invested in fossil fuel companies like BP and Shell.

"Continuing to support companies whose financial models are preparing for a five degree temperature increase world is incompatible with the deceleration of a climate emergency."

Cllr Rose continued to say that the SCPF was 'dragging its feet' over being asked to divest and has distributed the advice from Fossil Free Shropshire to her fellow councillors.

She added: "As members of the SCPF, this council that this fund divests from all fossil fuel companies."

Meanwhile, councillors have been asked to consider the potential naming of a new street on land to the west of Weston Lane in Oswestry.

The request has come from the Shropshire Naming and Numbering Department at Shropshire Council.

Councillors will also be notified by Shropshire Council of the potential sale of the Queen's Building, which currently houses Qube in Oswald Road, and is an asset of community interest.

However, Shropshire Council has also informed Oswestry that current tenants Qube – also known as Oswestry Community Action – have indicated their wish to buy the asset.

As Qube have registered their interest as interested bidders, there is now a six-month moratorium on the sale of the property, meaning if a sale cannot be secured by the group, the owners can sell it from March 2021.

The meeting will be held over Zoom from 7pm onward – anyone wishing to take part can through the code 894-3251-0406.