Conservative controlled Devon County Council has just cut £2.5 million from the highway repair budget. This is nothing short of madness, as accidents and damage to cars, pedestrians and cyclists increase.
Since May 2019 Teignbridge Lib Dems have:
Liberals see the best in things. We celebrate diversity and nonconformity and if something isn't working we try to fix it or we fight for reform. We are committed to representing local people and making sure your voices are heard. If you'd like to join or help the Liberal Democrats or learn more about our work locally and nationally click here
Cleaner Teignbridge We have responded to calls for better controls on dog behaviour with a Public Space Protection Order for Responsible Dog Ownership. Dog fouling continues to be a top complaint. We agree and want to do what we can to make Teignbridge even cleaner. Dog owners are required by the Order to carry sufficient poo bags, clear up after their dog, keep a dog on a lead in certain areas eg. a children's play park, and also keep your dog on a one metre lead on a public highway which includes pavements and shared cycle paths. Signage will be improved to inform dog owners. People that ignore the new Order can be fined on the spot. You can report a breach of the Order by emailing envc@teignbridge.gov.uk
Residents Suveys say traffic speeds are too high
Or in legalese: "To remove from the Orders the exemption from charging for disabled badge holders, invalid carriages, vehicles in lieu of invalid carriages and drivers with a severe disability issued with a note from Wiltshire Council."
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!”
