This year is the 8th year of Zero Waste Week – more information available at this LINK
This year my food waste is really zero – in our household
* all pealings into compost
* we only cooked what was needed
* any surplus food was turned into new meals
* did not use cuts of meat that were on the bone and reduced our meat consumption for the week anyway.
Details about the draft Local Flood risk Management Strategy and consultation process…
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy is now available for review: Flood Consultation Link
Details about the draft Local Flood risk Management Strategy and consultation process.
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy is now available for review: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/your-council-and-democracy/consultations
Earlier this year we were in touch to let you know that we were preparing our Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. A draft version of the Strategy is now available for review by organisations and members of the public. We are keen to get your views on this draft Strategy. We would like to know whether you think the strategy covers all the important issues and whether you agree with the range of actions that the Council intends to take on flooding over the next ten years.
As a reminder, the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy:
How to review the Strategy and provide your feedback
You can view the draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and provide feedback via our website:
http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/your-council-and-democracy/consultations
You can leave feedback using the online feedback form at the above website or feel free to email me with any comments.
The consultation period runs until 26th October 2015.
Printed copies of the Strategy will also be available in One-Stop-Shops and Libraries in the Bath & North East Somerset area.
What happens following the consultation?
All the comments received via the consultation process will be considered. Where possible and practical they will be used to help inform revisions to the document.
The final Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, as modified after the consultation, will need to be approved by the Council’s Cabinet. Once this has happened we will be able to publish a final version. We hope that the Strategy will be completed towards the end of 2015.
Earlier this year we were in touch to let you know that we were preparing our Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. A draft version of the Strategy is now available for review by organisations and members of the public. We are keen to get your views on this draft Strategy. We would like to know whether you think the strategy covers all the important issues and whether you agree with the range of actions that the Council intends to take on flooding over the next ten years.
As a reminder, the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy:
• Sets out our understanding of the risk of flooding in Bath & North East Somerset, with a particular focus on ‘local flooding’, which includes flooding from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses (typically small streams and ditches).
• Explains the roles and responsibilities of those involved in managing flood risk
• Provides information to help local communities, individuals and businesses better understand flooding and the steps they can take to manage flood risks
• Sets out how we will guide new development to consider flood risk and surface water drainage
• Contains an Action Plan setting out the measures we, and our partners, will take to manage the risks of local flooding.
How to review the Strategy and provide your feedback
You can view the draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and provide feedback via our website:
http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/your-council-and-democracy/consultations
You can leave feedback using the online feedback form at the above website or feel free to email me with any comments.
The consultation period runs until 26th October 2015.
Printed copies of the Strategy will also be available in One-Stop-Shops and Libraries in the Bath & North East Somerset area.
What happens following the consultation?
All the comments received via the consultation process will be considered. Where possible and practical they will be used to help inform revisions to the document.
The final Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, as modified after the consultation, will need to be approved by the Council’s Cabinet. Once this has happened we will be able to publish a final version. We hope that the Strategy will be completed towards the end of 2015.
City cycle hire scheme goes from strength to strength
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Nextbike in Bath cycle hire scheme has seen substantial growth since its introduction last year by the Liberal Democrats. It has proved a great success with residents and visitors alike. The success of this scheme is in marked contrast to the complete failure of a scheme put in place by the previous Conservative administration.
A key difference is that whereas the Tory scheme only had 4 stations The Next bike scene started with ‘stations’ located at nine key points around the city, the bikes have been ideal for people wishing to substitute the car for shorter journeys while also enabling visitors to get to Bath’s most popular attractions just a few minutes ride away. Since launch, over 7,000 journeys have been made by Nextbikes and the demand has been such that now three new stations are also being installed to boost the number of bikes available to 130.
I am delighted that the new administration is continuing with the good work they inherited from the Liberal Democrats. These three new stations were agreed before the elections and so I hope that yet more stations will be added to continue to grow the network especially by spreading it outside of the city of Bath.
Registration for Nextbike can be done via phone, mobile app or internet, and with hire charges from as low as £1 for 30 minutes, it’s a competitive alternative to the car or bus. For more information visit www.nextbike.co.uk.
Nextbike stations are installed at the following locations:
· Green Park Road
· Orange Grove
· Bath Spa railway station
· Sydney Place (Holburne Museum)
· Royal United Hospital
· Bath Spa University Newton St Loe campus (2 stations)
· Bath Spa University Sion Hill campus
· Charlotte Street car park
· Newbridge Marina/Caravan Park
· UNITE student apartments Lower Bristol Road
· Moorland Road
· Opening in the Autumn: Newbridge Park & Ride.
From right to left Cllr Sharon Ball, Sarah Moore, Cllr Will Sandry, Cllr Paul Crossley
The Two Tunnels cycle route has been an amazing new cycle link in Bath. It was built in partnership between National Lottery, Sustrans, BathNES Council and the Two Tunnels Group. The cycling connectivity through Bath is getting truly awesome. The Liberal Democrat run Council of the last few years has been investing in cycle links and paths and also joining up different paths. Just a few weeks ago we opened the new link from Batheaston to Bathampton. Now we are ready to oppen a new link from Claude Avenue down onto the Linear Way which leads to Two Tunnels.
These routes are not just great for cyclists and pedestrians but they also form jogging routes, dog walking routes and safe routes to schools.
The Liberal Democrat adminstration I lead at Bath and North East Somerset Council has been investing in new cycle and pedestrian links around the authority area for all three years of the Council and we will be continuing on for a fourth year. Connecting communities with new cycle and pedestrian links is good for health and good for our roads as it allows options for travel. the new bridge crosses the river at Batheaston car park and joins Bathampton on Mill Lane. One young student says it is saving him 20 minutes each way when he visits friends in Batheaston. Also lots of dog walkers are enjoying the new set of fields to walk in and exercise their dogs.
Fracking, in my view, is a very risky technology even with the best of safeguards. It would be far better getting far more households with solar power and more efficiency put into our old housing stock. However in Bath and NE Somerset our area is covered by 4 licences and 3 have expired and one has a 1 year extension. I have written to Government asking that the 3 expired licecnes should be revoked and not added into the next sale of licences. The reason is the risk to the world heritage city of Bath and its Spa waters.
In addition to Governement I have also written to several key environmental agancies and the Workld Heritage management asking for their support in this request.
for more inormation see this link
Today is a good day – The Liberal Democrats in Government are creating another 200,000 green jobs right here in Britain.
They’re part of the Energy Act, which Lib Dems have worked so hard to steer through Parliament, and it has just become law.
These 200,000 jobs are another example of something that simply wouldn’t have happened without the Lib Dems in Government – and we’re only here thanks to your support.
As long as the Lib Dems are in Government you may carry on hearing Tories complaining about “green crap” – but we should tell people the green truth: it’s about creating jobs and projecting the environment.
With green growth, we’re building a strong economy and a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life.
And thats not all – there are now 30M people in work in the UK. That is more than ever before.
With intense political scrutiny on energy bills, it suits energy companies and certain politicians, to place the blame on green energy.
It is, therefore, important that we all keep telling people the facts.
Green measures are responsible for £112 of the average £1287 family dual fuel bill. Of this, £37 is down to renewable subsidy (£30 ROCs and £7 FiT) – less than three percent of the average bill.
£47 pounds goes to ECO and other energy saving measures that reduce bills for those in fuel poverty.
You will find some useful Guardian infographics here http://goo.gl/J5Gimx.
Fossil fuels are costing us dearly, between 2004 and 2010 dual fuel bills rose by £455, of which £382 was due to soaring gas prices (http://is.gd/EIIXiz).
Globally subsidies for fossil fuels are $409 billion compared to $66 billion for renewable energy (http://is.gd/bTK7Iy).
The annual government grant to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is £2.3 billion. Divide that by £26.3 million households and you find the average cost per household of dealing with nuclear waste is £87 http://www.nda.gov.uk/aboutus/
As renewable energy becomes more mature, scrutiny will continue to increase. We have a great story to tell about using our own natural energy resources to make us more secure, rather than relying on gas from Qatar. Of inspiring local companies developing skills and technologies in a growing industry they can export around the world. And of costs coming down whilst fossil fuel costs go up.
But we cannot rely on others to tell that story for us – a message Ed Davey made strongly at our House of Commons event this week.
This year Regen launched our SW Renewable Energy Manifesto. On 26 November our Renewable Futures and Green Energy conference, exhibition and awards will showcase what our industry is achieving. In the past two weeks alone, I have been interviewed for BBC Points West, BBC Radio Somerset, Pirate FM and the Western Morning News (twice).
I invite you to work even more closely with us, to tell the exciting story of what green energy has to offer. Please send me your stories of jobs and investment to mhyman@regensw.co.uk.
Join us at www.regensw.co.uk/information/login-join-us; showcase your projects and ambitions at Renewable Futures www.renewable-futures.co.uk.
We encourage you to spread the message widely.
Wellsway School hosts launch of Council’s Active Travel Project
The Active Travel Project, organised by Sustrans in partnership with the Council. Children and staff at Wellsway School took part in the launch of the Active Travel Project, run by Bath & North East Somerset Council, at lunchtime on Thursday February 21 Feb. The project aims to provide children with the skills and information to allow them to travel to school actively and sustainably by bike, foot or public transport on a regular basis.
As Leader of the Council I am keen to encourage young people to walk and cycle more. Active Travel to school is a great way for pupils to enjoy staying fit and healthy and research shows it allows them to become better students in the classroom. Bath & North East Somerset Council wants to encourage people of all ages to think about how they take their journeys, taking sustainable transport, like bus or bike, when they can.
The work is funded through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund and being delivered by the West of England Partnership and involves several local Councils, including Bath & North East Somerset, working with the Department for Transport.
Bristol Channel Has Massive Renewable Energy Potential
The proposal for a large scale barrage across the Severn estuary would be an economic and environmental disaster. A recent report shows how a combination of innovative technologies could generate significant low carbon energy, and economic benefits from the Bristol Channel, without the need for a large scale barrage. The report has been issued by renewable energy experts Regen SW and consultancy firm Marine Energy Matters.
The discussion document, “Bristol Channel Energy: A Balanced Technology Approach”, proposes a new strategy to harness the massive energy potential of the Bristol Channel in a way which balances the imperative to generate low carbon energy with the protection of the environment and communities on both the Welsh and English sides of the channel. The multi technology strategy outlined in the report would utilise new concepts such as tidal lagoons and tidal fences, deployed in conjunction with tidal stream technology, wave and wind power. The report authors highlight that the key advantage of the multi-technology approach is to enable the incremental roll-out of a series of large scale energy schemes as technologies are proven and their environmental impacts can be properly managed. Ultimately this lower risk strategy could provide up to 14 GW of low carbon energy capacity, more than the barrage proposals, and would enhance the UK’s position as a hotbed for new technology development. The balanced technology approach, which has strong backing from industry groups including the Bristol Tidal Energy Forum, West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and South West Marine Energy Park, builds on the strength of the marine energy technology sector in the UK, and could provide a more sustainable route to economic growth and job creation.
The new approach is welcomed by environmental groups including Friends of the Earth and the RSPB. It is also what I have been advocating for many years now.
We must find ways to take the energy of the Severn that are
# clean
# renewable
# help and enhance the local environment
# create employment for the long term
# help our area become a world leader in innovative design and technology for harnessing energy from tidal power
a large barrier fails every single one of these challenges and destorys Bristol Port, increases flood area, does great damage to the ecology and fails to create any new renewable industry.
For more information about Regen SW click on this link
For more information about Marine Energy Matters click on this link
For more information about the South West Marine Energy Park click on this link
The UK Government has promoted the creation of the Marine Energy Park (MEP) as part of its strategy to support the development of the UK marine energy sector. The South West MEP was designated as the UK’s first Marine Energy Park in January 2012 and covers the geographic area from the Severn Estuary and around the coast of Cornwall to the Isle of Wight. The designation recognises the fantastic energy resources that the south west offers. This includes wave, wind, tidal stream and tidal range resources – as well as the clusters of research, industry and supply chain around the hub areas of Bristol, Plymouth and Cornwall. The aim of the South West MEP is to create a business environment that will accelerate the commercial development of the marine energy sector. To do this the South West MEP has established a powerful partnership which now consists of over 80 organisations from the private sector, research organisations, universities and public bodies.