Warm Banks have been described as ‘warm spaces’ to provide heated sites for those unable to afford their energy bills’, which will be rolled out through the winter as a response to the energy crisis of 2022.
In regards to this definition please supply the following information:
1. Has the council approved plans for any council-run ‘warm banks’, ‘warm spaces’, or locations where people can access warmth as a result of the energy crisis at no cost since April 6th 2022?
2. If so, how many?
3. How is your authority funding or intending to fund these warm banks? (i.e. were any grants sought, or is the council providing grants to third-sector organisations to do so)
4. If the council has approved any warm banks or similar, did the authority acquire grants in order to fund them and – if so – what were the names of those grants?
5. If there are warm banks in the local authority area, how many are run by the council and how many are run by external organisations?
6. If the council has approved any warm banks or similar, what is or will be the eligibility criteria to access them?
7. How much funding has been approved for providing ‘warm banks’ or similar since April 6th 2022?
8. If there are warm banks operating or set to operate in the local authority area – how many of these will operate or do operate from within council-owned buildings? Can you state which buildings they are?
We have supported community initiatives through the Growing Communities Fund or Locality Budgets, some may offer a warm space but their rationale and offer may be over and above
that and therefore for other/wider reasons, such as tackling loneliness or isolation – for example Devon Libraries Unlimited are offering a range of support services. Devon County Council does not have a dedicated/specifically focussed and branded warm spaces / bank fund or initiative. We therefore do not hold this information.