Lancashire's warm hubs to return for second winter

Lancashire County Council heard 220 places registered as warm hubs in 2023

"Warm hubs" will be opened for a second winter to help people struggling with energy bills, a council has said.

A Lancashire County Council meeting heard 220 places registered as hubs in 2022 as part of its Warm and Welcome Spaces programme.

It included 64 of the authority's libraries which would be the "central focus" of the initiative again.

The Conservative-led council also handed out £58,000 towards the cost of opening 120 community and faith spaces.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the meeting also saw a motion brought by the Labour opposition group, which called for more substantial payments to be made to those organisations willing to run warm hubs this winter, amid claims that some were put off last time by the level of funding that was on offer.

Burnley Central East representative Sobia Malik said the involvement of volunteer groups and charities had been affected by their already "huge" energy bills and the impact that becoming a warm hub would have on them.

Labour group leader Azhar Ali added that a number of places, including churches and community halls, that had offered their services last year had told him that they would be unable "to do it again for the same price" this winter.

The motion recommended grants of £2,000 be made available for those offering the basic warm hub service, which includes hot drinks, games and books, and £4,000 for the enhanced model, which also provides hot meals to those attending.

However, the ruling Tory group put forward an amendment, which was ultimately accepted by all parties, removing the stipulated grant amounts.

Details of this year's warm hubs scheme are expected to be brought to a cabinet meeting in November.

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