Leader of the Bromsgrove Lib Dems, Cllr Rob Hunter, has called for action on empty homes after it was revealed that more than 160 homes across the district are unoccupied, and some have even been redundant for more than ten years. The shocking waste of homes has come at a time when housing need is growing across the district.
Residents of the Lane End community at the top of Cherry Lane in Lymm are protesting against plans by Lymm Truckwash to expand its business onto Green Belt. Planning permission is being sought to increase the area used, add a fuelling facility and to operate 24 hours a day, all week long. Residents have complained about the noise, air pollution and blocked main roads from the current site and are convinced this will be made much worse by the planned expansion.
922 homes per year, over 18 years = over 16,000 homes, in Dacorum. Why so many new houses? This Local Plan has been drafted to provide for the 922 dwellings per year that national Government have said we need to enable within our boundary. This is rather more than the expected growth in this area (355 per year) because houses are not affordable here. Of course, "expected growth" isn't the whole story, because there are thousands of local people - many living in overcrowded conditions - who need properly affordable housing close to good public transport, or walkable to town or workplaces. The government algorithm uses an average home price in our area, and compares it with the average earnings in Dacorum. House prices and rents in Dacorum are certainly not *properly* affordable, but the current algorithm forces the vast majority of house building into London and its commuter areas - and that includes Dacorum. So what's this consultation? This is your opportunity to have a say about what is propo
922 homes per year, over 18 years = over 16,000 homes, in Dacorum. Why so many new houses? This Local Plan has been drafted to provide for the 922 dwellings per year that national Government have said we need to enable within our boundary. This is rather more than the expected growth in this area (355 per year) because houses are not affordable here. Of course, "expected growth" isn't the whole story, because there are thousands of local people - many living in overcrowded conditions - who need properly affordable housing close to good public transport, or walkable to town or workplaces. The government algorithm uses an average home price in our area, and compares it with the average earnings in Dacorum. House prices and rents in Dacorum are certainly not *properly* affordable, but the current algorithm forces the vast majority of house building into London and its commuter areas - and that includes Dacorum. So what's this consultation? This is your opportunity to have a say about what is propo
An overwhelming amount of entries have been received for Chelmsford's 2020 Christmas card competition, hosted by the Mayor of Chelmsford, Councillor Jude Deakin.
Our campaign in Cradley and Wollescote is going fantastically well, and next year we have a real chance of getting back on Dudley Council. All this is funded by your generous donations, a lot of which is raised at our Annual Christmas Draw. Would you like to support our campaigns and enter into the draw? Tickets cost just £1. Thank you and best of luck. The Dudley Lib Dem team thanks you for all your support.
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!”
