SOCIAL HOUSING TO BE SOLD AT LONDON AUCTION
SOCIAL HOUSING TO BE SOLD AT LONDON AUCTION
9 Dec 2018
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
The Observer view on May’s Brexit deal
With the exit deal set for a resounding rejection and an abject lack of leadership, it's finally time to give the voters a say The choice facing MPs on Tuesday - whether to approve the terms of Britain's exit from the EU negotiated by the prime minister - is the most important postwar decision parliament has confronted. It will irrevocably shape our nation's future, Britain's status and influence in the world, our economic competitiveness and the rights of future generations to live, study and work across a continent.
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9 Dec 2018
New train timetables
The latest timetable changes are now available for both East Midlands Trains and Thameslink.
9 Dec 2018
Paul Chaplin resigns party membership
Paul Chaplin resigned his party membership on Thursday, 6th December.
9 Dec 2018
County leader told to drop failed Unitary plan
The Leader of Leicestershire County Council Nick Rushton was again urged to drop his plans to abolish Hinckley and Bosworth and the other Boroughs in Leicestershire to create one Unitary authority for Leicestershire.
8 Dec 2018
We carry on campaigning for a People's Vote
Slough Lib Dems are carrying on campaigning for a People's Vote. Slough Lib Dems joined in the display of 600 Brexitometers outside Parliament on 5 Dec. Across the country campaigners have been giving residents' in their towns the chance to say how they think Breixt is going, and whether the People should have a say on the final deal. Bringing them all together was a powerful message to MPs that the People want a vote on the final Brexit deal, with an option to remain in the EU.
8 Dec 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!”
