22 Mar 2018
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
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GS
22 Mar 2018
Every Child Empowered: Education for a changing world
During our Spring Conference, we have announced a package of detailed education reforms, including changes to Ofsted and the league tables, proposals to address the question of the "middle tier" between government and schools, and changes to the curriculum as well as spending pledges .
GS
22 Mar 2018
Another Blow for South West Herts as Mayor Khan Cancels Step-Free Access at Croxley Met Line Station
Transport for London (TfL) recently announced the names of 13 more London Underground stations to be made step-free. But when it came to South West Hertfordshire the list included Rickmansworth - but not Croxley. TfL claimed that Rickmansworth is a cheaper and less complex scheme than Croxley. Nick Hollinghurst, Lib Dem County Councillor for Tring, who is a member of the HCC Cabinet Panel dealing with transport, said, "That may be true but both stations need step-free access - and anyway, if one station needs a complex scheme it clearly indicates that there is a greater need there. So actually, what TfL thought was an excuse for failing to make Croxley step-free, was really an admission that they'd got it wrong twice. In fact Croxley is the station they should be doing first!"
21 Mar 2018
Another Blow for South West Herts as Mayor Khan Cancels Step-Free Access at Croxley Met Line Station
Transport for London (TfL) recently announced the names of 13 more London Underground stations to be made step-free. But when it came to South West Hertfordshire the list included Rickmansworth - but not Croxley. TfL claimed that Rickmansworth is a cheaper and less complex scheme than Croxley. Nick Hollinghurst, Lib Dem County Councillor for Tring, who is a member of the HCC Cabinet Panel dealing with transport, said, "That may be true but both stations need step-free access - and anyway, if one station needs a complex scheme it clearly indicates that there is a greater need there. So actually, what TfL thought was an excuse for failing to make Croxley step-free, was really an admission that they'd got it wrong twice. In fact Croxley is the station they should be doing first!"
21 Mar 2018
Stonehenge road consultation period extended
Because they needed to cancel some consultation events due to the weather, Highways England have decided to extend the formal consultation period on the road scheme until Monday 23 April 2018. This will allow time for rescheduled events in Mere and Salisbury, and for people to respond following these.
21 Mar 2018
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!”
