Harlow Liberal Democrats were out and about at the Town Show, with a bouncy castle for the children which proved very popular.

The team also handed out surveys to adults about the council's proposals for fortnightly rubbish collection, including practical questions about how residents thought they would cope with fortnightly collections and wheelie bins.

Even the occasional rain showers - and the decision of the bouncy castle to start deflating when it ran out of power! - didn't deter the team, and a great day was had by all.

Liberal Democrats in Harlow have given their strong backing to ambitious calls by Nick Clegg MP for Britain to become self-sufficient in energy.

The Liberal Democrat leader has called for a major programme to build up Britain's own energy supplies through wind, tidal, wave and biomass technologies. Mr Clegg said:

"We have an enormous opportunity to create real energy independence for the UK, freeing ourselves from the shackles of foreign oil, coal and gas. This will require the kind of ambition and political will that succeeded in putting man on the moon."

Local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Chris Millington said:

"I am delighted that Nick Clegg is calling for a green revolution in the way we produce power. The recent Russian invasion of Georgia and the ongoing troubles in Iraq and Iran show just how dangerously reliant Britain is on energy from unstable parts of the world.

We have to build up our own energy supplies and as an island nation, we have an abundance of natural and clean energy sources that both Labour and Conservative governments have failed to develop.

Whilst Labour and the Conservatives joined together earlier this year to agree Britain should have a new generation of nuclear power stations, Liberal Democrats believe this will leave a legacy of radioactive waste for future generations. It will also leave us dependent on foreign supplies of uranium.

Liberal Democrats in Harlow welcome Nick Clegg's call for Britain to develop clean energy supplies and become self-sufficient in them by 2050. This is an industry in which we as a nation should aim to be world beaters.

Here in Harlow we have a strong history of engineering, research and development. Developing green power will boost local jobs and the local economy."

Liberal Democrats in Harlow are making their final preparations to attend the party's conference in Bournemouth in September. Four members from Harlow will be heading for the conference which will be held from Saturday 13 to Wednesday 17 September.

Debates taking place will include pensions, crime, eco-towns, the housing and mortgage crisis, transport and health. Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Chris Millington says:

"We are looking forward to a good conference and some lively debates. We are also looking forward to speeches from leading figures in the Liberal Democrats, particularly Nick Clegg's Leader’s speech on the final day.

People in Harlow are feeling the pinch with rising unemployment, rising prices for food and energy, and a collapsing housing market. So there will be a great deal of interest in the debate about the housing and mortgage crisis and in the speech of Vince Cable MP, our Shadow Chancellor."

The members attending from Harlow are Cllr Chris Millington, Cllr Robert Thurston, local party chairman David Wright, and Cllr Lorna Spenceley.

Your rubbish is worth money and councils in Essex are failing to reap the financial rewards, according to Liberal Democrats in the county. Cllr Ian Gale, spokesman for waste and recycling, explained:

"Recycled rubbish, such as paper and plastic, is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity and one that councils should be taking advantage of. We would urge the ruling Conservative party at Essex County Council to take a far more proactive role in helping local councils to identify what is not being recycled and why.

The rising cost of oil, which is used to make plastic, means that recycled plastics can be sold for a premium price and this money could be used to subsidise the collection of recyclables. Recycled paper, cardboard and metal from cans are also products that are attracting high prices in the recyclates market.

Liberal Democrats in Essex have long argued that more recycling is the way to deal with domestic waste. The Conservative plan to lock taxpayers into long term contacts shoving waste into large treatment plants is looking shakier than ever."

Liberal Democrats in Harlow have welcomed proposals made by the party's Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne MP to tackle youth crime.

The plans aim to deter crime and get young people involved in positive activities that benefit local communities. They include:

• The creation of a Youth Volunteer Force, to engage with young people, involve them in community projects and give them skills to benefit them in later life


• Establish Community Justice Panels across the country, where offenders admit their guilt to the community and agree on a Positive Behaviour Order as a course of action


• Create a dedicated PCSO youth officer within every Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify and work with teenagers most at risk of offending


• 10,000 more police on the streets by scrapping the ID cards scheme


• Intelligence-led stop and search and 'hot spot policing' targeted at gun and knife crime


• Restorative justice programs to be run in every community, specifically targeted at early intervention with widespread use in schools and care homes

Local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Chris Millington said:

"These proposals could potentially go a long way to reduce youth crime. By having more police and by focusing on crime hotspots, we will be able to deter crime more effectively from happening.

But we also need to give young people positive alternatives to do. Too often they get into trouble because there is nothing for them to do. The Youth Volunteer Force will be a great way to get young people involved in activities that benefit themselves and the area where they live.

I am also keen to ensure that those who do break the law or cause disturbances or vandalism have to pay back the community they have wronged.

That is why restorative justice is important. It will mean that those convicted of offences will have to work on cleaning up vandalism or on projects that benefit communities as part of their punishment.

Residents of Harlow often tell me of their worries about youth crime. I believe that the proposals the Liberal Democrats have put forward will go a long way to addressing those concerns."