Latest 50-50 Club Winners - January
The January draw for the 50-50 Club produced 1st prize - 26, Second Prize 61
24 Feb 2021
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Latest 50-50 Club Winners - January
The January draw for the 50-50 Club produced 1st prize - 26, Second Prize 61
24 Feb 2021
Auditors Slam South Ribble Council
Auditors issue damning report into 2020 management of South Ribble Borough Council...
PV
24 Feb 2021
The view from Felixstowe
What a year it has been. We cannot continue in local politics as if nothing has happened. This past year we have learnt so much about each other- our friendships, our families our workplaces -ourselves- and nothing will ever be the same again. Hopefully what we have learnt will guide us towards a better future. It cannot all have been for nothing.My vision for our beautiful Felixstowe Coastal is to nurture our wounded selves and at the same time move forward into a world where we have learnt that we cannot plunder the planet and our sense of community without dire consequences. So lets move on. Build a greener more compassionate neighbourhood and call the County Council and the Government to account when we feel action on the environment, housing, social care and mental health is not being taken - or not being actioned in any way which we can benefit from. It's time to stand up and come together for us and for the future generation.
JC
24 Feb 2021
Manifesto for 2021 launched
"Wiltshire Liberal Democrats have launched their vision for Wiltshire. The manifesto sets out the policies we want to implement over the next four years and the immediate priorities that we would act upon in the first few weeks after taking office. We are seeking the public’s support to take leadership of the council in the 2021 local elections so that we can work with residents and communities to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and build a stronger, greener, more prosperous, more caring and more progressive county."
24 Feb 2021
Developers and Brentwood Council let down residents at “The Elms”
During a visit to "The Elms" development at the Mountnessing roundabout prior to the start of the covid pandemic, Darryl Sankeyand the Lib Dem team had discussions with many local residents about the serious environmental issues facing the local community and the excessive fees charged by the appointed management companies. We also spoke about the lack of support residents have had from Brentwood Borough Council and Weston Homes
23 Feb 2021
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, called on the government to provide incentives for energy providers to develop solar power in the UK.
Mrs Hobhouse slammed the government for falling behind on meeting the UK’s renewable targets for solar energy capacity. The government plans to deploy 70 GW of solar power across the country by 2035. However, as of 2022, the UK had only installed 14.3 GW of solar pv.
Following a visit to a rooftop solar system installed by Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) at Beechen Cliff School last year, Wera Hobhouse is keen to encourage the development of similar solar projects across Bath. The solar system is predicted to significantly cut the school’s fuel costs and reduce their carbon emissions by 52 tonnes a year.
In the House of Commons on the 27th February, the Bath MP noted that the UK is lagging behind the rest of the world in renewable energy investment, she urged the government to offer incentives to energy providers to improve solar capacity.
However, Andrew Bowie, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, ignored Hobhouse’s proposals, failing to describe the ways in which the government could incentivise solar energy. Instead, Bowie said that the government’s Solar Taskforce would publish recommendations for solar power and reiterated the government’s target to deploy 70 GW by 2035.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, commented:
“The Conservatives are falling dangerously behind on meeting our targets for renewable energy production. It is no good the government setting an ambitious 70 GW solar target if they are nowhere near reaching it.
“It is clear that they have no plan to get us back on track to reach Net Zero. Evidently, they are more than happy to dismiss perfectly good proposals like incentivising solar power. That is why I am so proud that Bath is home to many community energy projects like the solar system at Beechen Cliff School, so that we can lead the way in renewables.”
“It is not just our climate targets harmed by the Conservatives’ delay. Families in Bath and across the country are struggling to pay soaring energy bills which investment in renewables could curb. That is why we Liberal Democrats would build significantly more renewable energy, aiming to generate 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.”
Peter Capener, Managing Director of Bath & West Community Energy said:
“Our work with schools is really demonstrating the value of community energy in both addressing the climate crisis and reducing fuel bills. Rooftop solar installed last year has already saved local schools a combined total of £134,209 and has reduced carbon emissions by 224.3 tonnes, which is equivalent to 12,173 journeys from Bath to Edinburgh by train!”
