Camden Council’s HQ in King’s Cross – could it provide some warm bank space this winter?

THE Town Hall is searching for locations to set up warm banks for people to go to if they are unable to heat their homes.

In another bleak illustration of the potential suffering ahead this winter amid the escalating cost-of-living, Camden is already drawing up a list of places where people could gather in the daytime when temperatures begin to drop. There are growing fears that people who cannot keep pace with rising energy bills may risk the freeze by simply not turning on the heating, putting their health at risk.

The “warm banks” idea – it was given this nickname to allude to the shocking and widespread growth of food bank use in the UK – had already emerged in parts of Scotland but now local authorities across the country are considering how it could work. At least one church and local charities are in talks with officials about what space they could provide.

ven with new prime minister Liz Truss’s energy announcements on Thursday and a cap on what demands will land on the doormat, people will still see their bills go up – at the same time as racing inflation is making food shopping critically more expensive.

A cost-of-living debate at the Town Hall was postponed on Monday as councillors used their all member meeting to share tributes to the Queen, who died last week aged 96. Camden will instead hold a special summit on the crisis next month and bring council business back to be heard in November.

At the start of this week’s meeting, however, Town Hall leader Councillor Georgia Gould confirmed Camden would be “developing a network of warm spaces” to try and help residents. It is considered a “work in progress” at this stage and the possibility of asking businesses to join in the relief effort is there. With more employees working from home, there may be some unused space where people could stay warm.

The council had already announced a £2million crisis fund from which it will hand £500 payments to people struggling to get by.

“We continue to push government for urgent action to support residents and businesses,” said Cllr Gould. “We are working to create a network of warm and accessible space where our communities can come to get advice on debt, find support and connection or quiet place to work. We’ve been overwhelmed with organisations stepping forward to help.”

The idea of warm spaces had also been proposed in a Liberal Democrat motion that had been due to be debated on Monday.

Leader of the opposition Councilor Tom Simon said: “Warm banks will be an important part of any package to help with the cost-of-living crisis. Think libraries, community centres, shopping centres, leisure centres, perhaps council offices, TRA halls and other locations. The council needs to think outside of the box about locations and then map them out and communicate them to people across the borough.

“It’s very sad and frustrating that we need to do this in 21st-century London. “It wouldn’t be necessary if the government got its act together and addressed the underlying problems.”