Hucknall: proposal for winter 'warm rooms’ in public buildings and libraries voted down

Ashfield Independent county councillors would support Hucknall Library being used as a 'warm room' this winter

The scheme has been brought in by several other councils across the country in a bid to help people struggling to heat their homes amid the cost of living crisis.

Under the proposals, put forward by the Labour Group on Nottinghamshire County Council, public buildings would be open for longer during winter months to offer residents warm places to go.

But the ruling Conservative Group voted the proposals down at a full council meeting.

Coun Ben Bradley MP (Con), the council’s leader, said the policy would “not be the best use of limited funds”, and said different forms of support would be provided instead.

Hucknall Library could be used as a 'warm room' for residents this winter as ris...

However, Labour and Independent Alliance councillors voted in favour of the proposal and spoke of the hardship some residents across Nottinghamshire are experiencing.

Coun Jason Zadrozny-Bland (Ash Ind), leader of the Independent Alliance group, added: “Members of the public are pretty scared and I speak to people who are in work and are scared about the bills they’ve got to pay.

“They are completely in the dark about what may come to help them. They want to know, literally, what they can do to pay their bills.

“This motion comes from a good place, where people want to show that government of all levels are on their side.”

However, the Conservatives did not support the idea of ‘warm rooms’ and believed funding would be better spent on helping people with “direct action”.

They pointed to the Household Support Fund – a funding pot specifically for those struggling most with their bills – which will come forward for its third round of funding next month.

Within this, the authority is expecting £5.6m that it can use to offer vouchers and support for families – including low-income households and those with children on free school meals.

And Coun John Cottee (Con), portfolio holder for communities, also believed the ‘warm rooms’ scheme was not required because it’s “already provided” through the county’s network of 60 libraries.