Over 120 people have responded to the Environment Agency objecting to an application submitted by Northacre Renewable Energy Ltd, alongside local residents, local councils, the Westbury Gasification Action Group/No Westbury Incinerator, Local Liberal Democrats and the local MP.
Money to fight the climate emergency in the South Hams could be almost doubled if the District Council agrees to a recommendation from opposition councillors to add another £324,000 to the Climate Change and Ecological Emergency budget.
A budget consultation run by Leicestershire County Council has set out how the authority tries to close a possible £92million shortfall in funding up to 2025. Meeting the funding gap could mean largescale service cuts, job losses and Council Tax rises for people in Leicestershire, unless the County receives extra support from the government. Opposition Liberal Democrat Councillors have called on the government to fairly fund Leicestershire County Council and keep a commitment to meet the Council's costs caused by Covid-19 and not expect residents to meet the costs through big Council Tax rises.
A consultation run by Leicestershire County Council has set out how the authority tries to close a possible £92million shortfall in funding up to 2025. Meeting the funding gap could mean largescale service cuts, job losses and Council Tax rises for people in Leicestershire, unless the County receives extra support from the government. Opposition Liberal Democrat Councillors have called on the government to fairly fund Leicestershire County Council and keep a commitment to meet the Council's costs caused by Covid-19 and not expect residents to meet the costs through big Council Tax rises.
Commenting on today's news that a Supreme Court ruling is set to force insurers to pay out on disputed coronavirus claims, local MP Tim Farron said: "It's almost a year since my office was inundated with desperate local businesses who were being thrown to the wolves by insurance companies refusing to pay out.
Andrew has a reputation for working hard and getting things done four our local communities.
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!”
