This is not the General Election and Hampshire County councillors can’t do anything about Brexit, but they CAN do things about air pollution and meeting the 15% renewable energy target. We asked candidates how:
1. Pollution
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) set out the dangerous impact of air pollution on health in the UK, suggesting that around 40,000 deaths a year are linked to air pollution.
1(a) Is pollution an important issue for you?
1(b) What steps would you take locally as a councillor to reduce pollution?
2. Energy
Basingstoke and Deane Borough meets only 1.8% of its energy needs from local renewables; Hampshire as a whole meets only 1.5%. The national target is 15% by 2020: this is also the target in the borough Local Plan.
2(a) How do you think the borough and the county should reach the target?
2(b) How will you engage with the public and local business to reduce pollution and increase renewable energy production?
So far we have had replies from:
Gavin James, LibDem, Basingstoke South East
Warwick Lovegrove, LibDem, Tadley and Baughurst
We have not had specific replies from candidates in Whitchurch and The Candovers, but candidates there sent information, unfortunately not specific to sustainability issues, to the Basingstoke Gazette, which published it at http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/15254301.County_council_elections_for_Whitchurch_and_Overton__who_is_pledging_what_/?ref=ebln