Bedford Borough Council has automatically issued over £964,000 in support grants to 648 local businesses that have had to close during this period of national restrictions.
The Lib Dems have called on the Chancellor to "level the playing field" to help small high streets compete with internet giants in the run up to Christmas.
The Kickstart Grants ballot has now opened.
Salisbury is at loggerheads: both physically in terms of the gridlock on our roads, and politically as the community argues valiantly with Conservative run Wiltshire Council about how best to organise our city.
A petition calling for the protection of family homes in Kingsholm has been handed into the city council. Lib Dem councillor Jeremy Hilton said there was much concern about the number of homes now being converted into Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO). Currently, family homes converted into HMOs for six persons or fewer do not require planning permission, as it is permitted development. Family homes are being converted into properties suitable for renting and this can lead to issues with noise, rubbish and parking. There can also be problems with getting landlords to deal with incidents of anti-social behaviour. Earlier this year, Kingsholm councillors Jeremy Hilton and Isabel Brazil tried to amend the council's work plan to start on the survey work, which is required as precursor to getting an Article 4 Direction. But the Tories voted it down. An Article 4 Direction would require all conversions to HMO's to have planning permission. In addressing the cabinet, Councillor Hilton urged that the cabinet start
Penrith and the Border Liberal Democrats elected a new Chair at their Annual General Meeting on Friday 6th November. Adrian Waite, who is the prospective candidate for the Lib Dems in Kirkby Stephen in next May's County Council election, was elected unanimously by the meeting.
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!”
