County Councillors Jerry Roodhouse & Sarah Boad call for action on the cost of living.

Lib Dems at County have tabled a Council Motion: on the Cost of Living

This Council recognises that we are in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis for 50 years and that it is having a major effect on many local people:

This Council therefore calls for a local Cost-of-Living Emergency Summit to be arranged, with stakeholders, including Citizens Advice, Food Banks, Local Trades Unions, Chambers of Commerce and local MPs to explore how more local help can be provided for those struggling with the cost of living – including extending the use of discretionary payments.

This Council also notes that increasingly Local Authorities are developing ‘Library Plus or ‘Warm Bank’ schemes, to give residents a place to stay warm and keep the cost of bills at home down after school and during evenings and weekends. The Council requests  the Chief Executive  to develop a funded plan  for the use of ‘Warm Banks’ across the County which will include later opening for Libraries and other council owned buildings. where possible.

Finally this Council requests that the Leader writes to the Secretary of State expressing this Council’s concerns over the impact that the cost of living is having on residents and also writes to the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority and Leaders of all other Local Authorities in the West Midlands Region asking them to pass similar motions so we can take a united stand as Local Government to force the Government to do more to help local people.