Eastleigh Borough's flagship country park has scooped its first ever national 'Green Flag' award by being judged as among the best in the country. Itchen Valley Country Park at West End has received a prestigious 'Green Flag Award' that recognises the excellent facilities, and high standards of management of its green spaces and amenities at the 440 acre site.
It is already too late to begin building more nuclear power stations.Even if new sites could be identified, the planning laws short-circuited and construction authorised within months, it will take almost a decade before new power plants could begin producing electricity. By that time Britain will be critically short of energy.Older nuclear plants will have been decommissioned, the gas-fired generators will be dependent on costly imported fuel and the exaggerated hopes for renewable energy generation will be left, likethe few completed wind farms, blowing in the wind. Nuclear reactors,given the potential for catastrophe, need intensive inspection and testing at every stage of their construction. This is especially true for the new generation of reactors developed by the French, one of which is now being built in Finland. Second, the cost of new reactors remains prohibitive â€" not because of running costs, but because the decommissioning of expired plants has proved hugely expensive.
Commenting ahead of Government proposals that will fast-track a new generation of nuclear power stations, Simon Hughes said "A new generation of nuclear power stations will be a colossal mistake regardless of where they are built."
Heather Kidd has warned that both the Tories and Labour are planning to raise tuition fees if they win the forthcoming general election.
Nowhere else could have been a more appropriate venue than Elvington Airfield for the Autumn Liberal Democrat Regional Conference held on Saturday 8th November.
Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has questioned the Department for Communities and Local Government over empty property rate relief. Barbara Follett MP has responded to the concerns Paul put forward over the strain empty property rates are putting on small and local businesses. The Minister has stated that there are no plans to continue a £15,000 exemption threshold after April 2010. Business rates on empty property will then be levied on any properties with rateable values over £2,200.
