CALNE is planned to become carbon neutral by 2030.

It followed a debate on Monday at the Calne Town Council meeting when the Mayor Cllr Robert Merrick proposed the plan in which the town declares a climate emergency and will work towards the goal of becoming carbon neutral by then.

His motion was backed by a majority vote of councillors of 11 to 3, and supported by members of the public who spoke in favour and presented the council with a petition.

He said there would be a community steering group to investigate the options.

Cllr Alan Hill agreed with the plan to have a steering group but opposed the 2030 plan saying that to cut back on its carbon footprint the town should stop major events such as the carnival and that the 2030 target was unrealistic.

He said: "You are asking this council to establish a target that we don't understand that is unlikely to be achieved and is totally aspirational."

Cllr Robert MacNaughton disagreed and said the town needed to look at the bigger picture and should include the area's environment.

Earlier several members of the public spoke in favour of the proposal including Samuel Pierce-Kerney who said: "As a young person in Calne I support the mayor's proposal. Calne has poor air quality and the town should do something about this."

Later Cllr Hill challenged this assertion saying that air quality surveys had indicated that apart from one spot at New Road and Silver Street the quality passed official standards.

Originally there were six problem areas. He hoped that once the new link road at Hills recycling site opened the trucks would no longer travel along New Road and the pollution would be less.

He said pollution did not particularly relate to climate change and reducing a carbon footprint.