Only 59 people use Crawley Borough Council's warm hubs over winter

Staff at the warm hubs were praised for providing food and equipment out of their own pockets

Only 59 people made use of warm hubs in Crawley which cost almost £18,000 to run, the local council has been told.

Six hubs were opened in community centres over winter to help people struggling with increasing fuel costs.

During a meeting of Crawley Borough Council's full council, questions were asked about whether the hubs had been "the best use of taxpayers' money".

The scheme was set up to provide support to people, not to save council funds, a councillor said.

Figures presented to the meeting showed each visit cost the council over £300.

They showed the hubs had cost just over £17,900 to run, with expenses including the hiring of the halls, overtime costs for staff, equipment, catering, printing and signage.

Sue Mullins, cabinet member for community engagement and culture, said the scheme had not been about money but about "supporting our residents".

She added: "This was a great initiative and I'm not sorry that we did it."

Mrs Mullins praised the efforts of council staff and officers who manned the hubs, saying many of them provided biscuits and art materials - such as colouring sheets and craft packs - out of their own pockets.

"They went above and beyond," she said.

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