Oldham Liberal Democrats urge council to set up ‘Warm Banks’ this winter

With the cost of energy bills soaring, some councils in England are setting up spaces where people can stay warm in the evenings, after school and after work.  Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, who leads the Liberal Democrats on Oldham Council has written to the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive urging them to adopt the proposal.

Councillor Sykes said, “It’s a shameful sign of the times that we need to consider ideas like warm banks.  But more and more people are struggling and with the October price hikes fast approaching it is only going to get worse.  Many will struggle to heat their homes this winter. Thousands of people die in the UK every year from the effects of winter cold and the most vulnerable are pensioners, those on low incomes and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Repurposing community spaces as warm banks will not solve these problems, but it will offer much needed respite to those who are struggling in our communities.”

In an open letter to Council Leader Amanda Chadderton, Councillor Sykes pointed to other local authorities such as Bristol, who are already setting up their own warm banks.

Councillor Sykes said, “We need to get started now if we are going to be able to implement something meaningful ahead of the price rises in October.  We need to be providing warm places for people to come after work or during the day if they need to keep energy bills down.  Children should be able to focus on their homework somewhere that is warm, and people need peace of mind, knowing that they aren’t racking up astronomical bills.”

2 thoughts on “Oldham Liberal Democrats urge council to set up ‘Warm Banks’ this winter

  1. Geoff says:

    Hello Howard
    The idea of worm banks would be a good idea for Shaw,
    Is there any possibility that the small single decker bus would be able to stop at any proposed worm bank limiting the need for a cold walk on a winter day.

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