Today I visited Moments Cafe on New George Street to launch my call for Plymouth City Council to create “heat banks” across Plymouth – warm spaces for people struggling to afford their heating.

In a letter to the Council, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Jemima Laing and I have called for an extension to the opening hours of libraries, community centres and other public buildings during the working day, evenings and weekends to provide emergency heating space for residents.

As temperatures drop and the cost of living continues to rise, people in Plymouth face the toughest of winters and must have somewhere warm to go if they cannot afford to pay their energy bills.

Household energy prices have more than doubled in the last twelve months, with bills rising on 1st October despite the Government’s energy price guarantee. Rocketing interest rates and inflation are squeezing families even further.

A third of Plymouth children live in poverty, and many families have told me they simply won’t be able to turn on their heating this winter.

Councillor Jemima Laing, Deputy Leader of the Opposition on Plymouth City Council and Councillor for Stoke ward, added:

“We know how tough this winter is going to be for so many people across Plymouth. Thats why we need the city council to create a Heat Banks Strategy, working with partners across the city to provide places for people to come – so that no one has to sit in a cold home too worried about energy prices to turn their heating on.”