THERE has been a call for a five mile travel limit for people to drive in order to take exercise.

This comes after the Government removed restrictions, leading to an influx of people to Church Stretton over the two May Bank Holiday weekends, causing problems with parking and concerns about coronavirus being brought into an isolated rural area.

Now a Green Party councillor is calling for England to follow the example of the Welsh Government and limit travel to five miles.

Lyn Antill, who sits on Church Stretton Town Council, says that the police do not have the powers to enforce social distancing and cannot force people driving to small rural communities to go home.

“The arrival of many hundreds of visitors by car to Church Stretton and Carding Mill Valley has seriously worried residents about the possibility of an increase in Covid-19 infection in our small community,” said Ms Antill.

“Visitors are not social distancing, they are parking wherever they can and causing problems for local residents. This is the result of the decision of the Government to relax lockdown without a thought for the welfare of residents in places like Church Stretton.

“The Green Party view is that we should follow the Welsh Government example and impose a five mile travel limit.”