The county council has spent £6.1m on a glorified repaving of the major bus hub. Lib Dem councillors asked this to be looked into for potential overspend.
At least 10,000 people die every winter in the UK because their home isn't warm enough. Living in a cold home puts millions of people with health conditions at particular risk of harm - health conditions such as respiratory diseases like COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or bronchiectasis, cardio-vascular diseases and illnesses affecting the immune system such as arthritis, asthma, or those undergoing chemotherapy. Many people with these conditions have frequent admissions to hospital, usually with respiratory infections and it's estimated that living in cold homes costs the NHS £860 million a year.
Bedford Borough Libraries is excited to welcome an award winning performance poet and children's author to one of its libraries. Joseph Coelho, the Waterstones Children's Laureate, will visit Kempston Library on Tuesday 24th January, 1pm to 2pm. He will be signing up for a library card and speaking to visitors and staff, everyone is welcome to attend. Joseph will be performing some of his poetry. A class from a local school will also be at the event.
The Government has introduced a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station at some elections.
The next repair cafe will be on 21st January at the West End Centre in Aldershot. If you have an item that needs repairing the volunteers will do their best to help. Repairs are free of charge but donations are welcome. https://www.rushmoorrepaircafe.org/
Why is the country only belatedly becoming aware of Boris Johnson's tendency to weasel money out of distant relatives and cronies of the Conservative Party? Can it be that his own party is embarrassed by his sponging off others to support a lifestyle that he obviously cannot actually afford and yet clearly feels he is somehow entitled to?
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!”
