A few years ago if you'd stood in Swindon and looked north you'd have seen a massive wall of ice, whilst behind you the bleak and frozen tundra stretched away to the distant south. Now there's a different problem, and SBC is encouraging people to take action. Here's their announcement:
Action on various highway items in north Chelmsford have been announced, following a recent meeting of the Essex Highways Panel for Chelmsford. Cllr. Stephen Robinson has been pressing for action for some time. - Thames Ave, Clyde Cres and Cherwell Drive - grasscrete" to create new parking bays; Essex Highways hope to carry out the work in the October-December period. - Pentland Avenue - it was agreed to install bollards to prevent parking on the pavement at the side of KFC. To be part-funded from the fines paid by people parking on the yellow lines. - Valley Bridge (near Petersfield) - Keep Clear markings will hopefully be agreed at the September meeting of the panel. - Avon Road (northern end) - bollards to protect the grass are being assessed for viability and cost. - Chignal Road - Stephen has long argued for action to reduce speed here but this was not agreed. Essex Highways says that speeding is not a problem (their survey says average speed northbound is 30.3mph; southbound 27.6mph).
We've waited long enough says Lib Dem equalities spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP.
John Castle, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Medway has hailed a stunning victory in Chesham & Amersham by-election and insisted "if it can happen there it can happen here in Medway too".
Cumbrian MP Tim Farron has slammed a Conservative cabinet minister who described local farmers as 'feeble'.
Local Liberal Democrats have attacked the Government Planning Inspectorate for its decision to allow an overbearing development on part of the Tesco car park.
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!”
