The Liberal Democrats successfully steered their Climate Emergency motion through an Extraordinary meeting of Mole Valley District Council on Tuesday 18th June. The result was met with delight and cheers from the public viewing gallery.
Following their success in the local elections in May and taking on the leadership of Guildford Borough Council, the Liberal Democrat council team have set out their priorities for their first 100 days in leadership of the council. The list makes a clear departure from the approach of the previous Conservative administration and shows a clear commitment to a new, progressive approach to running the council.
Chuka Umunna has been appointed the Liberal Democrats' Treasury and Business spokesperson in the House of Commons
I am often asked how all the new houses planned to be built locally will be supplied with water. Southern Water gave this reply to a recent meeting of Parish Councillors. "Our Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) considers water supply needs to 2070 taking account of local council proposed housing growth numbers (from local plans) as well as other factors such as climate change. In Kent, the most significant new strategic water resources scheme we are proposing is a water re-use scheme at Aylesford to support our abstraction from the River Medway. This is needed by 2027-28. The updated 2019 WRMP went through a public consultation process in 2018 and should be published later this year once permission is granted by DEFRA. I understand the water re-use scheme they mention will be near the Medway riverside on the site of the former Aylesford Newsprint works at the north end of New Hythe Lane. Southern Water are holding a Kent Stakeholder Workshop on 28th June as the resilience of water supply will be a k
The Borough Council has agreed to fund three quarters of the £13,000 cost of fencing the Lillieburn area invaded by travellers...
Anita has been in touch with the managing agents for the Thornhills Health Centre. They have assured her that they will trim the hedge alongside the car park. They are also trying to get a specialist horologist (clock person) to assess the problem with the centre's clock. Anita has also pointed out that there are no dropped kerbs on to the footway from the surgery to the pharmacy which means going via the road. In Martin Square, only the grass in front of the Library has been cut. KCC and TMBC always seem to forget who owns what and so the job is only partially done. We understand the Fire Service are also having trouble with their grass mowing contractor and the grass around the Fire Station hasn't been cut either. Anita was told it may be done in a couple of weeks.
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!”
