Essex Conservatives drop sound finance from their 2021/22 budget
Essex Conservatives have dropped 'sound finance' from their 2021/22 budget* and kicked the financial can down the road, according to the Liberal Democrats.
CSR
16 Feb 2021
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Lib Dems call on Chancellor to give 11,794 carers in Hinckley and Bosworth a break
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to "give carers a break", by giving councils immediate emergency funding so they can provide the support services unpaid carers need to take a weekly break.
16 Feb 2021
Haringey Labour misses Housing Target … Again
Haringey has had its planning powers curbed after failing to hit its housing target - despite the goal having been reduced due to...
HLD
16 Feb 2021
Bedford Borough Council to introduce first School Street
Bedford Borough Council have announced plans to introduce a pilot of their School Street initiative around Cauldwell School in March 2021. The project will create a safer, more pleasant environment in the area around the school and help to improve air quality.
16 Feb 2021
Residents’ success as Lymm Truckwash expansion rejected
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WLD
16 Feb 2021
Cleaning Up The Town - Update
Homes & Communities Spokesperson, Dean Larder, Takles Fly Tipping Late in 2020 our team in Milkstone & Deeplish produced an article intended to help residents across the Borough understand how to handle unwanted items without resorting to illegal fly tipping. In the spirit of recycling, here are their key points again:
DL
16 Feb 2021
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!”
