The Andy Kelly Interview
Councillor Andy Kelly (Milnrow & Newhey), leader of Rochdale Liberal Democrats, took a rare break in his busy schedule to talk to us about local and national politics in 2019 and beyond.
REMETMD
12 Aug 2019
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Horton Road to be resurfaced
Jeremy Hilton had a site visit with the local highway manager and it was agreed that potholes which are a safety hazard would soon be fixed and that the road has been included in next year's resurfacing programme.
12 Aug 2019
New air quality proposals don't help polluted areas outside City Centre
"The news that the councils seem to be no longer considering the possibility of the £12.50 daily charge for the Central Motorway and Coast Road will be a relief to many people, but it isn't immediately obvious that the new proposals comply with the relevant air quality targets", says Cllr Greg Stone, Liberal Democrats opposition spokesperson on transport and air quality. "These plans appear to do nothing to improve identified air quality problem areas like Shields Road, the Cradlewell, Gosforth High Street, and the Coast Road.
12 Aug 2019
Two week wait for GPs making a mockery of our NHS
According to Pulse's annual survey of waiting times, for the first time ever the average wait for a routine GP appointment is now more than two weeks.
12 Aug 2019
Delivering on Equal Marriage
The Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference is to debate delivering equal marriage - five years after same-sex marriage was legalised in England and Wales thanks to Liberal Democrats in the coalition government.
12 Aug 2019
Telford & Wrekin Lib Dems Pledge To Plant 175 Trees
To offset Telford and Wrekin Liberal Democrats' carbon footprint, built up during this year's election campaigns, they will be purchasing approximately 175 trees through donating to the Eden Reforestation Project.
GS
12 Aug 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!”
