Aldi store given the go-ahead
Wirral's Planning Committee has given consent for the demolition of the current Aldi building on Woodchurch Road and the building of a new store.
AB
23 Oct 2020
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Petition launched to get safe cycle path to local school
A petition has been launched to get a safe cyclepath for children and parents who cycle to a local school. The petition to Leicestershire County Council Highways asking for a cyclepath to be extended from Hinckley to St Martins Catholic School in Stoke Golding has been launched by Hinckley Lib Dem Borough Councillor Lynda Hodgkins. Parents contacted local Councillors in Hinckley asking for a cyclepath from Hinckley to Stoke Golding. At present many children and parents have to cycle along a fast moving road from Hinckley into Stoke Golding and there are fears that it could cause an accident. Councillor Lynda Hodgkins said "Many parents have contacted me asking for this safe cycle path. It's a dangerous route to cycle from Hinckley to Stoke Golding , if we want young people to cycle instead of being driven in their parents cars we have to make the route safe. I would urge all parents, and residents in Hinckley and Stoke Golding to sign this petition. The more signatures we get the more pressure it will put on
23 Oct 2020
Anger as Hinckley and Bosworth's Tory MP votes against free school meals
There's been an angry response to the seven Leicestershire Conservative MPs, including the MP for Hinckley and Bosworth voting down proposals for free school meals to continue during the holidays.
23 Oct 2020
MP calls on Government to follow Scotland’s lead to support outdoor education centres
Cumbrian MP Tim Farron is calling on the UK Government to follow Scotland's lead in providing a financial support package for outdoor education centres.
23 Oct 2020
Farron urges Conservative MPs not to throw away second chance to vote to protect British farming and food standards
South Lakes MP Tim Farron is calling on Conservative backbench MPs to put country before party and vote to protect British food and farming standards.
23 Oct 2020
The Good Life
Local campaigner Jenny Kelly reflects on making the most of her garden during lockdown. During lockdown I found myself with more time at home than I had ever had before. I began to re-evaluate my life and to seriously consider what was important to me. I could never get physical and mental well being taking top priority and to that effect I looked around for ways to improve them. I didn't have to search too far as I found what I was looking for in my garden. For years it had been a 'place to keep on top of' - keeping the grass cut and the weeds from the flower beds. Now it has a very different feel to it.
JK
23 Oct 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!”
