By David Appleton in GLD Challenge magazine 2020-21
THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSED DEROGATION ON THE USE OF NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDE ON SUGAR BEET CROPS IN 2021.
Although the Government looked at giving farmers a derogation to use neonicotinoid pesticides ('neonics') on sugar beet for 2021, which have been banned in the UK/EU since 2017/2018 due to the growing weight of scientific evidence they are harmful to bees and other pollinators, the derogation has not been granted for this year. The proposed derogation was due to the threat posed by viruses carried by aphids which can reduce crop yields by up to 75%. However, recent cold weather has reduced the aphid population sufficiently such that the derogation is considered unnecessary.
Lib Dem's are showing themselves to be the best at tackling the climate and ecological emergencies while the @Conservatives have once again decided not to invest in increasing recycling rates.
This fact is based on the new @DefraGovUK figures that show the @LibDems lead four out of five of the councils with the highest #recycling rates.
In comparison Conservative led Wiltshire Council's current recycling, reuse and composting rate is just 45% (end of March 2020). Their contractor Hills Waste Solutions manage and collect all the waste and recycling from Wiltshire residents.
Hills Waste are also submitted in partnership with Northacre Renewable Energy (NREL) the revised and highly controversial plans for an incinerator at Westbury. Seems Hills Waste and NREL don't have a drive to improve their rcycling rates.
Vote Lib Dem in the local elections if you want your area to be the #BestatRecycling
I've just been in touch with one of the Liberal Democrat councillors for the ward up the road from me to line up a Focus delivery round on Monday, 8 March. That's the date from which the latest change in guidelines in England comes in. It gives the go-ahead to a much wider range of leafleting and also to doorstep canvassing.
Instead of acting to improve air quality in the county, Wiltshire Council is whingeing about action being taken in Bath. WC says Bath should be coming into Wiltshire to monitor emissions, instead of relying on Wiltshire Council to do it themselves.
The CAZ, which begins on 15 March, will see some vehicles that do not meet emission standards charged to enter some parts of Bath. Private cars will not be charged, but some trucks, lorries, vans and HGVs will have to pay a charge to enter the zone.
Wiltshire is building more houses than needed, official figures reveal.
Countryside charity CPRE is preparing to submit evidence to show the number of houses proposed under the Wiltshire Local Plan is a serious over-estimation.
According to analysis of the Housing Delivery Test (2020) by the Wiltshire branch of the charity, the county has delivered 140 per cent of its target.
It says that between 2017/18 and 2019/20 Wiltshire built 40 per cent more houses than was required of it.
During this period, the report says Wiltshire was required to built of 5,506 new homes but constructed 7,720.
CPRE Wiltshire chairwoman Anne Henshaw says, "The latest government figures vindicate what we have been saying for years - we have been building too many new homes here in Wiltshire, the majority of them on greenfield land, and there is no evidence that this number of homes is needed.
"Looking ahead, we have commissioned a report on Wiltshire Council's housing requirement figures for the plan period 2016 - 2036, currently under public consultation.
"This report will be submitted with our full consultation responses.
"On the strength of this study, we believe there is compelling evidence for the overall reduction of housing allocations across Wiltshire."
Cabinet member for spatial planning, Toby Sturgis said: "Wiltshire has housing targets to meet and the government's measure of meeting housing requirements is the Housing Delivery Test
"Performance varies from year to year, but over the last three years we have exceeded the average required. It is important that we continue to meet the government's targets as failure to meet them has consequences according to government rules that are set out in national planning policy, that might result in greater freedoms for house building in the county.
"The consultation we are currently undertaking is looking ahead to 2036 and is based upon evidence of housing need over the next local plan period based on a standard method given to all councils by government.
"The government expects all local planning authorities to maintain an up-to-date local plan based upon evidence.
"In this consultation we are asking the community of Wiltshire to review the evidence we have prepared and to comment on the overall housing requirement and proposed distribution.
"This will no doubt result in a variety of views including those suggesting lower and higher numbers of new homes.
"The comments will help shape the draft local plan which is scheduled for publication later this year."
It's been an incredibly hard year. So many people have lost their jobs, high streets have been decimated and businesses have gone under. People are struggling to make ends meet.
Meanwhile, another year has gone by without taking the big steps we need to halt the climate emergency.
That's why the Liberal Democrats are championing four major priorities in light of today's Budget:
From 8 March 2021, concessionary bus pass holders will only be able to use their bus passes from 9:30am on weekdays, but can continue to use them at any time at weekends.
Cllr Wayman, Cabinet Member for Transport said: "This offer was only ever in place until such time as schools opened up fully to receive all pupils"
