Conservative-run Northamptonshire Council announces £65million of cuts
Conservative-run Northamptonshire Council announces £65million of cuts - and that may not be enough!
13 Oct 2018
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Cupid Green Fields saved - with Cabinet still short of a strategy
Cabinet is set to withdraw proposals to move the Jarman Athletics track to Cupid Green fields, after a consultation report showing deep and reasoned objections was championed by LibDem Councillors Adrian England and Lara Pringle, at wednesday's "Oversight & Scrutiny Committee" meeting, at The Forum.
13 Oct 2018
Cupid Green Fields saved - with Cabinet still short of a strategy
Cabinet is set to withdraw proposals to move the Jarman Athletics track to Cupid Green fields, after a consultation report showing deep and reasoned objections was championed by LibDem Councillors Adrian England and Lara Pringle, at wednesday's "Oversight & Scrutiny Committee" meeting, at The Forum.
13 Oct 2018
Homelessness and rough sleeping
It was World Homeless Day this week, and we want to thank local organisations and especially their volunteers for all that they do in helping tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in Bedford Borough.
12 Oct 2018
Police chief responds to Council questions
"Everyone in Northumbria Police highly values community engagement. It is the best way for issues to be brought to our attention at the earliest opportunity and enable us, together with our partners, to respond accordingly. In this regard I am delighted to note, especially in such financially challenging times, our local officers remain accessible to our local communities, " the Chief Constable oo Northumbria has told Liberal Democrats Councillor Robin Ashby in his response to a number of questions posed after his presentation to Newcastle City Council.
12 Oct 2018
Transport operators' response to hate crime
What are public transport operators are doing to support the communities they serve in confronting and reducing hate crime? This is what they are telling Councillors: "Hate crime is not an issue unique or particular to public transport, but while it remains rare on buses and Metro, we recognise that it does occur, and that incidents too often still go unreported. "That is why, to mark national Hate Crime Awareness Week, Arriva, Go North East, Stagecoach and Nexus, as operator of Metro and the Shields Ferry, have come together to publish a first ever hate crime charter for public transport. "Our charter sets out a series of commitments we are making to help the police, local communities and victims. This includes training and awareness raising for staff, the use of assets such as CCTV and social media to fight hate crime, and taking steps to encourage people who witness incidents or become victims to come forward and report them. "Most of this represents good work that transport operators a
12 Oct 2018
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!”
