Final bank in Grange set to close
Commenting on the news that the last remaining bank in Grange-over-Sands, Lloyds, has announced its closure, local MP Tim Farron said:
28 Feb 2019
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Changing Landscape of Chinese Community Centres in the UK
On 20 February, at a forum kindly hosted by the Rt Hon Lord McNally at the House of Lords, key stakeholders from the Chinese community and guests attended the launch of an important research on the state of Chinese community centres today, the challenges they face and their strategies for survival into the future.
28 Feb 2019
Bedford Borough Council to take Steps Towards Carbon Neutrality as it Joins the Declaration of a ‘Climate Emergency’
- Mayor's Executive to identify actions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030
27 Feb 2019
Yes there is an emergency
Yesterday Wiltshire Council passed a motion acknowledging that there's a climate emergency. Almost everyone in the chamber accepted the reality of runaway climate change, and much of the debate centred around whether or not we should be using big scary words like 'emergency', or doing the usual public sector routine of observing, monitoring, and putting off doing anything useful.
27 Feb 2019
More Fly-Tipping Problems
Fly tipping incidents are rising in Newark and Sherwood. Asbestos is the latest problem leading to clear-up costs doubling year on year. Last year 21 incidents cost £6,680 to remove. So far in the nine months of 2018-19 there have been 35, with the cost rising to £12,950.
27 Feb 2019
More Fly-Tipping Problems
Fly tipping incidents are rising in Newark and Sherwood. Asbestos is the latest problem leading to clear-up costs doubling year on year. Last year 21 incidents cost £6,680 to remove. So far in the nine months of 2018-19 there have been 35, with the cost rising to £12,950.
27 Feb 2019
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!”
