Libraries and community centres could be used as ‘warm hubs’ as Warwickshire residents struggle with heating bills

County councillors backed the suggestion and also agreed that a cost of living summit be arranged in response to the crisis and that officers would ramp up their work with community and voluntary organisations.

Council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe (Con, Stour and the Vale) proposed the measures in response to two different motions - one from Labour and another from the Liberal Democrats - put forward at the latest full council meeting [on Sep 29].

The amendment, which was accepted and ultimately approved by all parties, read: “This council recognises that we are moving into one of the most significant cost of living crises and that inflation is having a major effect on many local people and businesses.

“This council also notes that increasingly, local authorities are developing ‘library plus’ or ‘warm bank’ schemes to give residents a place to stay warm and keep the cost of bills at home down after school and during evenings and weekends.

“This council welcomes work officers are undertaking to prepare a package of measures to support residents and communities with the cost of living and a recent meeting of the six Warwickshire council leaders and chief executives to discuss the cost of living crisis.”

It added that the proposed measures would be presented to the next cabinet meeting [on October 13] and listed various suggestions including a possible ‘cost of living hub’ offering an online resource with practical advice to those struggling financially.

Cllr Seccombe told the meeting: “The essence of what we are trying to achieve must be this consolidated, coordinated approach. Districts will be doing things themselves, quite rightly, to support their communities and it would be nonsense to do things that replicated them. For instance, if they had a warm hub in a place then why would we go through the process of creating one next door. We want to support each other and spend wisely the resources that are open to us.

“We need to make sure we do what people want rather than what we think is right.”