In support of farmers, small holders and horse owners around the county, Warwickshire Police Rural Crime Team, the NFU, NFU Mutual Insurance and Stratford District Council are working together to help tackle rural crime.
Responding to the passing of legislation by the Hungarian Parliament that bans materials in schools deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: "Quite simply this is a disgusting piece of legislation which violates human rights and will lead to lasting harm to LGBT+ individuals. Homophobic persecution of this sort is something we are used to seeing in Vladmir Putin's Russia, not in an EU member state. It is appalling. "But this is only the latest repressive step from Viktor Orban, whose record on antisemitism, Islamophobia, LGBT+ and women's rights, and so much more besides is utterly abysmal. Despite this, Boris Johnson still thought Viktor Orban was worthy of rolling out the Downing Street red carpet last month. What signal does that send out about the type of country we want to be? "In order to combat this assault on LGBT+ rights, the UK Government must commit to working in lockstep with our EU allies. We will only be able to tac
A group representing stroke and neurological patients and carers in South Cumbria has welcomed the news that a new provider has been found to take over Holehird care home in Windermere.
The new Progressive Alliance of MK Council has its sights on making Milton Keynes the Greenest City in the World. The new...
There was praise for Bedford town businesses and for Bedford Borough Council's extensive efforts to support them during the pandemic and beyond as Councillors discussed the reopening of the town centre at the latest, informal meeting of the Environment and Sustainable Communities Committee.
The boardwalk has gone!
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!”
