Residents are being urged to be extra vigilant on children's welfare during lockdown and report any concerns they may have.
Leicester City Council administers nine residential parking schemes across the city have advised residential parking permit holders they will not be penalised if their current permits expire during the current Coronavirus lockdown and will not face any action.
Rebalancing Society - reviewing the economic costs We need a major economic shift as we emerge from the pandemic lockdown, which was put in place for health reasons but has inevitably had huge financial and economic repercussions. This is going to need more fundamental change than most current politicians seem ready to contemplate. It is certainly going to require change on a scale a Boris Johnson Government will not readily embrace. But then I wonder whether, or for how long, Johnson can stay in charge - as it would seem the long knives are already out of the drawer and being sharpened.
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to automatically extend all visas beyond the end of May and to give all NHS and social care workers indefinite leave to remain, following the Home Office's announcement today of one-year visa extensions for certain health and care staff.
Staying at home all day and not getting exercise can have side-effects such as obesity, ill health and insanity, so the importance of getting out safely is recognised by experts. There are no restrictions on the public's right to use designated footpaths in rural areas, but common sense and courtesy to landowners and other walkers are necessary. Natural England say:
Welcome to Sir Ed Davey as new Patron of Chinese Lib Dems
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!”
