Council urged to create more allotments as demand on Wearside soars
A green-fingered councillor in Sunderland is urging the Council to massively increase the number of allotments in the city in a bid to boost mental health.
MC
12 Nov 2020
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Lib Dems call for next year's GCSE and A Level exams to be scrapped
Cllr Dan Boatright, a teacher at a sixth form college, is calling for GCSE and A level exams to be scrapped for 2021 and replaced them with moderated teacher assessment grades.
JC
11 Nov 2020
Elm Grove Development
The town development meeting with the Elm Grove housing plans were the main item on the recent town council meeting agenda. This is only the outline plan and really only determines access to the site and a straw man layout of housing etc. but it gives people a flavour for what is going to happen and allows the nearby residents to voice their concerns before the plans become more fixed in a "reserved matters" application. #Trowbridge https://trowbridge.nub.news/n/marathon-to… See More TROWBRIDGE.NUB.NEWS Marathon Town Council meeting agrees to approve - with conditions - a huge Elm Grove development in Trowbridge TRAFFIC issues surrounding a massive new housing estate proposal in Trowbridge were high on the list of concerns when the matter was discussed at a Town Council committee meeting last night.
11 Nov 2020
Current Local and National Business COVID Grant and Support Schemes
The Kent and Medway Growth Hub Team have emailed businesses with a helpful review of the current financial support available for businesses, as below.
11 Nov 2020
We Will Remember Them - Armistice Day in Bedford
Mayor Dave Hodgson today took part in an Armistice Day ceremony at the Bedford War Memorial on the Embankment, at 11am. As with Sunday's Remembrance Service, it was a reduced service in line with current regulations and to ensure the safety of all involved. Photographs will be available on Mayor Dave's Facebook page in due course.
11 Nov 2020
Adam Smith Institute supports LVT but also Planning Reform
Like its founder, the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) has always spoken up for LVT in general terms but once again it has published a muddled report that merely recommends its introdction on "major [housing] developments". The ASI report recently had a little mainstream publicity and can be found here https://www.adamsmith.org/news/build-build-build-and-beat-the-germans-again
TV
11 Nov 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!”
