From the Leader: A Big Day for the Local Plan
Last Friday, Wokingham Borough Council submitted its new Local Plan for inspector’s examination, a vital stage in the journey towards its use in determining planning applications.
6 Mar 2025
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
National Empty Homes Week: Southwark Liberal Democrats Renew Call for Action
In National Empty Homes week (3-9th March), the Southwark Liberal Democrats have renewed their call for action over the 2531 empty homes in Southwark – the most in London and one of the most in the country.
6 Mar 2025
Drum Brae / Gyle
Fauldburn Park path finally to be resurfaced
The badly damaged path running between Fauldburn Park and Maybury Road is now finally going to be resurfaced.
6 Mar 2025
Labour Rearranges Deck Chairs in Portswood
Southampton City Council has announced the removal of the Brookvale Road buildout as part of the Portswood Project trial. Following feedback from residents and an interim recommendation from road safety auditors, the ‘give way’ priority buildout
CSC
6 Mar 2025
Ambitious Lib Dem Budget Lost on Labour
At our last Council meeting on 26th February, as expected, our Liberal Democrat alternative budget did not pass. But that was never the only goal. We put forward a fully costed, ambitious plan to prove that Southampton CAN and SHOULD be delivering real c
CSC
6 Mar 2025
Powis's resignation: New leadership must fix crisis in NHS
Responding to NHS England medical director, Stephen Powis’s resignation, Helen Morgan MP, Liberal Democrat Health and Care Spokesperson, said:
6 Mar 2025
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!”
