Conference this morning discussed the recent flooding and how to manage the impact and risk of flooding. Annual flood damage now averages £2.3 billion per year, and this total is rising as climate change increases the variability of weather patterns. Over two million homes are currently at risk from flooding, and this may underestimate homes at risk from inadequate drainage and extreme rainfall.
Shepway Council's Development Control committee has granted planning permission to build six houses on a part of Cheriton Recreation Ground bordering Weymouth Road in Folkestone. The decision ignores huge local opposition and local residents and local Liberal Democrat Councillors have pledged to continue to fight to save the park.
Two public exhibitions have been organised by Shepway Council after revised plans and further information were submitted for the development of the Nickolls Quarry site at Hythe.
Responding to the death in Afghanistan of 18 year old Chesterfield soldier Ben Ford, local MP Paul Holmes said:
Shepway Liberal Democrat Executive member Chani Sanger has been elected co-Secretary of the Shepway Youth Forum at their annual election on Thursday last week.
Conference this afternoon debated a motion from Solihull and Meriden local party called "Accounting for the Environment" Conference noted that while the UK domestic economy is currently estimated to contribute just 2% of global emissions, UK companies are responsible for between 12%-15% of emissions globally when international operations are taken into account. The Labour Government restricted the Operating and Financial Review (OFR) in the Company Law Reform Bill to require only the 1,300 firms publicly quoted on the London Stock Exchange to submit environmental and social strategies but the OFR requirement is only enforceable by company shareholders, and legal action can only be taken if a director's failure to consider these issues leads to financial loss.