Bedford Half-Marathon Weekend
This weekend will see the Bedford Half-Maraton, Twilight 10k and Mini-Miles.
29 Aug 2018
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
New report on children self-harming shows far more needs to be done to help prevent mental health issues at early age - MP
Responding to a report from The Children's Society which found that nearly a quarter of 14-year-old girls in the UK said they had self-harmed, South Lakes MP Tim Farron said:
29 Aug 2018
Kent County Council: A259 Sandgate Esplanade, Sandgate (Prohibition Of Waiting) Temporary Order 2018
To allow various telecoms cabling and ducting works to be safely carried out, Kent County Council has made an Order to temporarily prohibit parking on part of A259 Sandgate Esplanade, Sandgate, near Folkestone.
29 Aug 2018
A "Remarkable Surge" in Demand for Pure Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Cars in UK, but Council Responses are Inadequate.
I think we can now be very clear that the future for cars and light vans could easily be electric. The following posting is based on a report published on the https://www.nextgreencar.com web site.
28 Aug 2018
A "Remarkable Surge" in Demand for Pure Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Cars in UK, but Council Responses are Inadequate.
I think we can now be very clear that the future for cars and light vans could easily be electric. The following posting is based on a report published on the https://www.nextgreencar.com web site.
28 Aug 2018
Real leadership on air quality needs real action from Council
The Liberal Democrats Transport spokesman in Newcastle, Cllr Greg Stone, says that it's not a surprise that Newcastle council leader Nick Forbes has sent out a press release announcing that he has signed a round-robin letter of mayors and city leaders calling on the Government to take urgent action on the issue of air quality . It's right that he should highlight the importance of action on this issue given the effects of traffic congestion and vehicle emissions on public health and the environment. However, his call is a little cynical given that DEFRA is already requiring cities including Newcastle to publish plans to improve clean air at several identified hotspots in the city by the end of this year. The council has already admitted that it won't meet that deadline, though it hopes to produce something next year. It's all very well to call on the Government to take urgent action but Cllr Forbes seems disinclined to urgency on the part of the council. As ever, Cllr Forbes calls upon the Government to provi
28 Aug 2018
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!”
