Launched in 2011 as a fundraiser for the local cricket club, the Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival is from June 23 to 27. It is now a week of fascinating talks, discussions and debates, as well as an extensive and immersive living history programme.
An extraordinary attempt by Bedford Borough Conservative Cllrs to reverse several years of progress towards an East West Railway between Oxford and Cambridge via Bedford and add at least three years of delay was defeated in a Bedford Borough Council meeting last night. The shock move saw the Conservatives U-turn on their previous support for a route through Bedford itself, which they had presented to the public throughout previous stages and the last council and mayoral elections.
Ben Rhydding Liberal Democrat Steve Spoerry at Wheatley Lane Greenbelt that is under threat. ...
Steve Spoerry has been chosen by local Liberal Democrats to stand in the forthcoming by-election for the Ben Rhydding ward on Ilkley Town Council.
Lib Dem Cllr Steve Wain elected as Derbyshire Dales Civic Chairman and Mayor of Matlock
Medway Council have announced that the fate of Splashes Leisure centre will be decided at a Cabinet on the 8th June. During this meeting the cabinet will be asked to support the demolishing of the centre. Yet what is strikingly missing from the announcement is an official agreement to rebuild a leisure facility in its place. Their statement has no timeframe, no funding and no guarantee it will happen.
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!”
