8 talking points from first 'Save Our Severn' meeting held to tackle 'urgent' river issues

Organised by Paul Cawthorne, the meeting on Friday night at Coalbrookdale Community Centre in Telford was the first of a planned series of consultations during the next three to four years and was split into sections with representatives from the Severn Fisheries Group, UpSewageCreek, the Prince Albert Angling Society, the Angling Trust, Telford Green Party and Severn Trent.

Sections in the eagerly anticipated 'Save Our Severn' meeting included 'why is this important', 'making it happen locally', 'how Shrewsbury sees it', 'what is being done locally', 'goods and timescales', 'challenges of working with the regulators', and 'citizen science'.

Jason Rogers and other members of Severn Trent water were present at the meeting and presented their plans to tackle issues surrounding the county's rivers and waterways, however, despite reportedly being invited alongside the water company - according to organisers - there was no representation from the Environment Agency, Telford & Wrekin Council, or any of the county's councils.

The community centre was packed with Shropshire residents who participated in an open discussion after each section to begin the meeting, and organiser Paul was delighted to see a strong turnout.

He said: "It shows what an important issue it is if people turn out on a Friday evening.

"The health of our river is so obviously deteriorating and if we don't do something about it urgently then there's going to be hardly anything left.

"This is the first meeting of a series over the next three to four years where we will be looking at different themes and trying to engage properly with the decision makers. One of the things I find most difficult is that the decision makers actually back out of dialogue.

"It's really good that Severn Trent have turned up, even if the Environment Agency have bottled it.

"We're trying to increase the dialogue so there is a bit more honesty in the descriptions of what is going on.

"Just at the bottom here there is no weed in the river, that wasn't the case six or seven years ago. I have been speaking with s fisherman from Bewdley (at the meeting) and he said there was no weed in their section of the river, and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It's a big issue along the river."

The Shropshire Star headed to Telford and the community centre to listen to the meeting and note what was said.

Brian Revell opened the meeting with a welcome speech, thanking those who attended, before speakers took turns to address the audience.

'Why is this important' - Severn Fisheries Group

Glyn Marshall of the Severn Fisheries Group began proceedings. He said his group was "set up well over four years ago as a group of very academic and knowledgeable people to protect salmon angling on the River Severn".

He added that his group is working behind the scenes to get the Environment Agency and regulators to "understand that they are not always right and that there are other reasoned arguments for what is happening with the River Severn".

Mr Marshall claimed salmon are not "hanging about" where they used to because of the "chemical composition of the river".

He said: "Due to the state of the river we know that salmon are struggling."