Chloe Hughes

BBC News, West Midlands

BBC Seb Slater has short brown hair and facial hair. He is wearing a grey brown coat with a maroon t-shirt, and is standing in front of a brick building holding a bike. It is blue and has the Shrewsbury Moves logo on it.BBC

The four-day festival has something for everyone, said Seb Slater from Shrewsbury BID

A four-day festival will explore and celebrate the future of travel in a Shropshire town.

The Shrewsbury Moves Festival has been organised by the town’s Business Improvement District (BID), Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Town Council.

The event, from Thursday to Sunday, includes conferences and talks about travel with community leaders, businesses and health professionals.

Activities will also be held in The Square such as yoga classes, skipping and a Tai Chi performance.

“Over the last two years we’ve been working on this holistic movement strategy for the town and the festival this weekend is all about showcasing what could be possible… and hopefully getting people excited,” said Seb Slater from the BID.

The10 year-plan published by the BID and the county and town councils hopes to improve how people move in and around Shrewsbury.

Projects already under way in the town include an e-bike rental scheme which Mr Slater hopes will be complemented by safe cycle storage in the future, which would see cyclists pay a small fee via an app to lock up bikes in hangars.

Getty Images View across the Square in Shrewsbury town centre from the Old Market Hall. There is a paved area and the building has arches and pillars. Across the square, people are sitting at tables and there are shop awnings.Getty Images

Activities will take place in the town’s Square

Other proposals include the introduction of traffic loops, more priority being given to buses, cyclists and pedestrians, and creating more park-and-ride sites on the edge of the town to encourage people to take public transport or walk.

Guests at the event’s conferences will include author Melissa Bruntlett, Shropshire Youth Council, Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley, and Jon Burke – Gloucester City Council’s climate lead.

Mr Slater said the activities and talks were for people of all ages.

“It is for everyone in the town, whether you are a young person or perhaps someone with mobility challenges, there’s something for everyone, we hope.”



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