The government's new scheme demanding certain forms of ID at polling stations could cost up to £180,000,000 a decade. What they are spending your money on? Equipment - £3 million
Commenting on the announcement of plans by production company Fulwell 73 for a major film and television studios development on the banks of the Wear around the Northern Spire bridge, local Lib Dem councillor for Pallion Martin Haswell said:
Bedford Borough Council and the Town Deal Board are inviting local residents to visit a series of upcoming open briefings that will give them an insight into the exciting Town Deal projects planned for the centre of Bedford.
Marking a year since Russia launched its illegal and violent invasion of Ukraine, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds has reiterated her party’s support for Ukraine stating:
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling for an increase in wages for care workers in Wales to be increased again in order to tackle chronic staff shortages in social care and its impact on emergency care. The Party is proposing doing this by doubling the amount of tax gambling companies operating out of the UK to generate £56 million extra for Wales to spend on social care salaries.
As expected, councillors have tonight rejected an outline planning application to build 310 houses on greenbelt land near Harts Farm, Little Bushey Lane. Our representative, Cllr Jerry Evans, voted against it but in fact the decision was unanimous.
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!”
