Green Plans to boost jobs and homes in Herefordshire

12.46.54pm GMT Tue 6th Jan 2009

Bold plans for immediate investment in green schemes that will make homes warmer, cut energy bills and improve public transport making a real impact on the economy and benefiting people's lives right away have been proposed by the Liberal Democrats.

The plans, called Green Road out of Recession, were announced on 18th December by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg MP. The plans budgeted at £12.5bn would be paid for by scrapping the widely criticised VAT cut.

Green Road out of the Recession proposals include:

A five-year programme to insulate every school and hospital, with 20% completed in the first year

Reopening old railway lines and stations, opening new ones, and electrifying the Midland mainlines and buying 700 new train carriages

Funding insulation and energy efficiency for a million homes, with a £1,000 subsidy for a million more

Building 40,000 extra zero-carbon social houses

Installing energy and money saving smart meters in every home within five years

Commenting on the innovative plans, local Liberal Democrat parliamentary campaigner Sarah Carr said,

"The plans proposed by Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats will give an immediate boost to the economy here in Herefordshire. And by insulating people's homes, it will help thousands of residents whose heating bills have gone through the roof in the past year.

"Whilst Labour and the Conservatives are quietly dropping serious interest in tackling climate change and damage to the environment, Liberal Democrats believe that moving forward with green action on homes and transport will create jobs, cut energy bills, put money back into people's pockets and protect the environment."