The One Show are coming to Bedford for Children In Need
The One Show will be stopping off in Bedford as the team travels across the UK for this year's Rickshaw Challenge for Children in Need.
22 Oct 2019
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
People must be given the final say on Johnson's Brexit
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Letter from Folkestone and Hythe District Council to East Kent Homes Tenants
Future options for managing council housing
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Wirral Lib Dems on Final Say March
European citizens marching for an end to divisive and destructive politics. Even before we arrived at the Lib Dem meeting...
AB
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Jo Swinson on Votes in House of Commons
Responding to votes in the House of Commons tonight, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson said: "This is not a done deal, and I won't stop fight...
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Vandals deface Hailsham LibDem HQ for the third time this year
As detailed in a Sussex Express article today we were all shocked and saddened to hear that the Hailsham LibDem HQ was vandalised in the early hours of Sunday morning, the third such incident this year. Previously, paint was thrown at the building and the windows were also shot with a BB gun. Wealden District Councillor Neil Cleaver, who lives nearby, said he returned home late on Saturday night following a Hailsham Bonfire Society meeting. "It was close to 1am when I walked home, and I passed right by the building and it was definitely not defaced at that time," said Cllr Cleaver, who was the first to spot the damage, which consisted of red and white paint that had been thrown across the windows and walls, the next morning around 8am when he was driving past. He immediately reported it to the police and took photos. Hailsham Mayor Paul Holbrook expressed his deep dismay that this has happened again. "This is the third time this year, and it looks like the same people are responsible," he said. "It's exactl
KB
21 Oct 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!”
