Meeting's focus on carbon issues

The event was organised by Bexhill Environmental Group (BEG) and Hastings Friends of the Earth.

Other speakers included John Holbrow from the Federation of Small Businesses, and Liz Hutchins, parliamentary campaigner with Friends of the Earth.

The meeting focused on the issue of local carbon budgets, encouraging more action in this area to tackle climate change in the context of the forthcoming Energy Security and Green Economy Bill.

Liz Hutchins and John Holbrow impressed upon Mr Barker both the need and wide-ranging support for local carbon budgets.

John Holbrow said: “Our Federation is supporting Friends of the Earth’s call to include these in the Energy Security and Green Economy Bill, which we think will be helpful.

“Speaking to a number of council leaders across the country, they’ve got so many pressures on their budgets at the moment that unless there’s something from central government to lean on them to do something, many of them will put these schemes further down their priority list.”.

Mr Barker expressed his support for the idea, saying: ”We need to engage people locally and we need to engage local authorities so they can really make a difference”.

The well-informed audience showed its support for strong local action to tackle climate change in Mr Barker’s own Bexhill and Battle constituency, with a range of questions for the panel.

These included transport -the proposed link road, cycling provision and the train service to London - and renewable energy.