Support for Local Businesses
Local businesses can apply for a business support grant via the Council's website if they meet the Government's qualifying criteria.
28 Mar 2020
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Decorate your bin to thank our waste collectors
The refuse service has been continuing to provide a service to residents in Elmbridge. Amey do have a small increase in ...
27 Mar 2020
Plea to the UK Media and Public
There has been a sharp increase of racist hate crime throughout the country, ranging from verbal incidents, intimidation and even physical attacks, towards the British Chinese community and other East Asian communities, including international students from China and other countries in South East Asia. Although there are examples of those who stood up against the perpretrators and defended people who were being abused, it is distressing to see the upsurge of hate crime arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
DYPCARG
27 Mar 2020
MP signs cross-party letter calling for suspension of VAT on energy bills
South Lakes MP Tim Farron has signed a cross-party letter to the Chancellor, urging him to suspend VAT on electricity bills for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.
27 Mar 2020
MP issues plea for tourists NOT to visit the Lake District this weekend
Speaking ahead of what would normally be a busy weekend for the Lake District, local MP Tim Farron has issued the following plea:
27 Mar 2020
Self-employed workers in Cumbria can’t afford to wait until June - MP
Commenting on the announcement from the Chancellor this afternoon that self-employed people won't be able to access financial support to cope with the impact of coronavirus until June, Tim said: "The measures that the Chancellor is introducing are really welcome but the brutal reality is that so many of the nearly 11,000 self-employed people in Westmorland and Lonsdale just simply can't afford to wait until June to get a proper wage.
27 Mar 2020
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!”
