No more houses without schools
Following the development of 2,000 homes at Orchard Grove, Gideon Amos takes Taunton’s case to the Housing Minister, to ensure that new homes come with the schools and GP surgeries residents deserve
30 Mar 2026
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Adam Dance MP presses Government on protections for shared ownership residents in Yeovil
Yeovil MP Adam Dance has raised concerns in Parliament about the protections in place for residents in shared ownership properties, particularly around issues such as dangerous mould and housing conditions.
30 Mar 2026
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP makes no bones in debate on tourism levy –“if money is raised locally, it must be shaped locally, spent locally, and seen locally”.
Tom Gordon MP spoke in a debate shaping the proposed visitor levy- a tax on overnight tourists in England. He supported it, but highlighted the need for involvement of councils and communities in creating a tourism strategy rather than regional mayors.
30 Mar 2026
Tom Gordon MP welcomes students from Harrogate Grammar School and Personalised Learning College to Parliament.
The MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough received groups of students for tours of the Palace last week. The buzzing group of youngsters learned about democracy, British Values, and what their local MP does day-to-day.
30 Mar 2026
Oldham
Council challenged over collapse in parking enforcement
Oldham’s independent-backed Labour Council has been challenged over a collapse in parking fines from enforcement after the service was taken in house in 2025.
30 Mar 2026
“Merton deserves better” – Lib Dems launch ‘Six to Fix’ plan to take control
Merton Liberal Democrats have launched their 2026 election manifesto, Building the Merton we’re proud to call home, setting out their plan to take control of the Council and deliver a more competent, transparent, and resident-focused administration.
30 Mar 2026
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!”
