SpArC Reopens!
Some great news to report - SpArC leisure centre and swimming pool will reopen on Monday 24th August.
20 Aug 2020
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
The Higgins Bedford to reopen on 25 August 2020
After being closed for five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Higgins Bedford will be reopening to the public on Tuesday 25 August.
20 Aug 2020
Moran: Government bumbling from one crisis to the next
Responding to reports that BTec results have been pulled on the eve of results, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Layla Moran said:
20 Aug 2020
Govt bumbling from one crisis to the next
Responding to reports that BTec results have been pulled on the eve of results, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Layla Moran said:
19 Aug 2020
Lib Dem members - your vote matters: Lib Dem Leadership
This summer, Liberal Democrat members are in the process of electing a new leader. Each member gets an equal say in choosing who they want to lead our party, but you have to use your vote. With only just over a week to go until the new party leader is announced, please take the time to listen to past hustings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X98hXUqKbF4 or today's hustings on health and social care. With around 2,600 councilors across the UK, currently leading or having the deputy leadership in 50 councils across England, Wales and Scotland and our MPs in Westminster, we may be a smaller party but we have a strong voice and every members vote counts. Cast your vote.
19 Aug 2020
No Smoke without Fire... no Smoke without Damage. Concern Raised over Smoking in Pregnancy at County Public Health Panel
Towards the end of last year a report on smoking in pregnancy was presented to the County's Public Health Cabinet Panel by Herfordshire's Director of Public Health. Encouraging changes in behaviour to improve public health is a difficult and sensitive process. An authoritarian approach or attitudes by professionals that come across as scolding or blaming are counter productive and worse than useless. People engaging in behaviour that is risky - to themselves or to others - must be treated with the respect that is due to everyone. That means trusting the individual and focussing on the problem - her addiction to nicotine - and providing sympathetic help to escape from the situation.
19 Aug 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!”
