Oswestry residents looking for practical ways to make streets, gardens and community spaces greener will be able to hear directly from the Oswestry De-pave project this month.
The free public programme includes a Green Day event in Oswestry town centre on June 13, plus two promotional sessions at Oswestry Library from 10am to 1pm on June 10 and June 24. The sessions are open to local residents, families and community organisations.
The focus is simple: how removing unused hard surfaces and replacing them with planting can help rainwater drain more naturally, while creating better spaces for people and wildlife.
Green Day brings depaving ideas into the town centre
At the Green Day event, visitors will be able to speak to project partners at the Grow With The Flow stall and see examples of how depaving can work in practice.
The Oswestry De-pave demonstrator project is managed by Shropshire Council and forms part of the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme. It is working with Grow With The Flow, a newly formed community group created with local volunteers, to show how small local changes can help slow surface water during heavy rainfall.
A car park area is set to feature a rain garden through the project. Rain gardens are planted spaces designed to hold and absorb rainwater more naturally than hard paving, while also adding greenery.
Jenna Shaw, from Shropshire Wildlife Trust, is leading the De-pave demonstrator project. She said the work is intended to show that tackling surface water and improving the local environment does not have to be complicated.
“What we’re showing is that tackling surface water and improving our environment doesn’t have to be complicated. Small, local actions like removing unused paving and planting something in its place can make a real difference when lots of people get involved,” she said.
Library sessions offer a quieter way to get involved
For residents who cannot attend Green Day, or who want a more direct conversation about the project, Jenna Shaw will also be at Oswestry Library between 10am and 1pm on June 10 and June 24.
Those sessions will promote the work of the De-pave project and encourage local people to get involved. The source material does not list a booking requirement, and the event brief describes the sessions as free and open to the public.
The library dates may suit people who want to ask how similar ideas could apply at home, in a shared outdoor area, or through a community-led greening project.
What visitors can expect
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Main event | Green Day event and Oswestry Library promotional sessions |
| Location | Oswestry town centre and Oswestry Library |
| Green Day date | June 13 |
| Library dates | June 10 and June 24 |
| Library time | 10am to 1pm |
| Cost | Free |
| Who it is for | Local residents, families and community organisations |
Visitors to the Grow With The Flow stall can expect information about rain gardens, depaving, tree planting and community-led greening projects. The project partners will also explain how residents can play a direct role in shaping local spaces.
Grow With The Flow is focused on helping communities work with nature by encouraging approaches that slow the flow of water, support wildlife and bring people together.
Jenna Shaw said there is local interest in taking practical action for the environment.
“There’s a real appetite locally to do something positive for the environment. By working together, we can create spaces that are not only greener, but better prepared for the kinds of weather we’re seeing more often,” she said.
Part of a wider River Severn flood-risk programme
The Oswestry De-pave project is one of eight demonstrator projects funded through the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme.
The wider scheme is testing approaches aimed at reducing flood risk within the upper River Severn catchment area. It is a cross-border initiative led by the Environment Agency, working with Natural Resources Wales, Powys County Council and Shropshire Council, and funded by Defra.
The immediate next chance to find out more is at Oswestry Library from 10am to 1pm on June 10, followed by Green Day in Oswestry town centre on June 13 and another library session from 10am to 1pm on June 24.
Source: Shropshire Council Newsroom
Source check Source trail
This preview is based on the published Shropshire Council Newsroom notice and the event details supplied in the brief.
- Confirmed the Green Day event is listed for June 13 in Oswestry town centre.
- Confirmed Oswestry Library sessions are listed for June 10 and June 24, from 10am to 1pm.
- Confirmed the event brief describes the sessions as free and open to the public.
- Confirmed Jenna Shaw is named as leading the De-pave demonstrator project.
- Source
- Shropshire Council Newsroom
- Scope
- Oswestry, Shropshire
- Updated
- 2026-06-02 15:30
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