Lights in Westminster City Hall burn brightly during 'Earth Hour' (Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats)

Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats <info@westminsterlibdems.org.uk>

Lights in Westminster City Hall burn brightly during 'Earth Hour'

March 29, 2009 11:18 AM

Westminster City Hall during Earth Hour (28 March 2009)

Westminster City Hall, the council's HQ, with its lights burning brightly... at 9pm on a Saturday - in the middle of 'Earth Hour'!

Whilst people and organisations across Britain and the world marked 'Earth Hour' on Saturday evening by switching off lights to cut energy use, lights in Westminster City Hall [pictured] were burning brightly.

116 councils nationwide, including eight London boroughs and the Greater London Authority, all supported 'Earth Hour' and committed themselves to ensuring that their office lights were switched off between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Saturday 28th March. The gesture was designed to highlight the need to cut wasteful energy use to combat climate change.

Westminster council, with light beaming from windows across most floors of its Victoria Street headquarters building, was clearly not one of the councils supporting the global initiative.

Commenting, Mark Blackburn, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the new constituency of Westminster North, said, "This photo was taken around 9 o'clock on Saturday evening and yet, despite the hour, light is pouring out of windows across City Hall. That adds to light pollution, wastes energy, and costs local taxpayers. How hard is it to switch off lights?"

Information recently obtained by the local Liberal Democrats under the Freedom of Information Act also reveals that City Hall has been given the bottom environmental grade in energy tests. Under new rules, which came into effect last October, every public building has to be graded from A to G - with A meaning the building produces minimal carbon dioxide emissions and G meaning it produces far too much.

The council's Victoria Street HQ received a G grade - the worst. According to its assessment, it pumps into the atmosphere almost four times as much carbon dioxide as a building of its type should.

Mark continued, "It's no surprise that Westminster City Hall got the bottom grade in environmental tests when they don't even turn off the lights at weekends.

"Going green does not just mean improving our environment. By not wasting energy it also saves the council money, which can then either be invested in other priorities or returned to the taxpayer through lower taxes.

"It's time, here in Westminster, for a party that takes the environment seriously. That party is the Liberal Democrats."