Ashfield District Council could open its leisure centre showers for residents to use for free if they cannot afford to use hot water to wash at home. That would be in addition to the ‘warm rooms’ project currently being offered at leisure centres for free heating, which could also be extended with longer hours and new services.
It’s part of the authority’s new 15-point plan to support struggling households with rising bills amid the cost of living crisis. The plan was revealed by the council during a ‘State of Ashfield Debate’ yesterday (December 8) aimed specifically at tackling the issue.
Speaking in Thursday’s debate, Councillor Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), the council’s leader, said the authority is “duty bound” to support its residents. He said: “I want to treat the cost of living crisis as seriously as we did with Covid because I think this is the biggest issue we’ve faced for a generation.
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“Residents in Ashfield are locked down because they can’t afford to go out, fill their car or use public transport. Disposable incomes are the lowest for a generation and I think this cost of living crisis will cost lives.
“We’re duty bound, as a council, to do everything we can to help and that’s why most of us got into politics in the first place.” None of the proposals in the plan have been approved or confirmed but the authority outlined ways it hopes to support residents over the coming months.
Earlier this month, the authority confirmed its three leisure centres – Lammas, Kirkby and Hucknall – will open as ‘community living rooms’. This scheme gives people who are struggling to afford to heat their homes the opportunity to attend the sites free of charge to warm up and receive hot drinks.
Under the new plans, this could be extended with longer opening hours, and new services will be offered to people in need. It includes plans to open showers to the public free of charge so residents can wash and shower without using their own gas or electricity.
This could come with a “code word” that is “easy to understand” so people can avoid potential stigmas when visiting its buildings for this purpose. The plan also includes opening leisure centres and other council buildings so people can charge up their phones or laptops using an “energy room”.
The energy rooms would be available in all council-owned buildings, the authority added. The council also plans to promote businesses and voluntary organisations that are also offering warm spaces for people who cannot heat their homes.
A map could be developed to show residents where they can get help to feed their families, such as food banks and food share schemes. Other items in the 15-point plan include re-committing to a 100 per cent council tax support scheme for struggling households.
The authority also plans to continue the cost of living section on its website signposting residents to benefits, council tax, housing support and other financial tools. It will also utilise its Ashfield Matters magazine to reach people who are not confident using technology.
The plan also includes a waiver on charges for rent on rooms used by voluntary organisations helping residents with cost of living activities. Housing teams could carry out ‘warm and well’ assessments on the most vulnerable residents.
Two-hour free parking is also likely to continue, as well as all-year-round bulky waste collections. And events could be held at community venues across the district to ensure residents have access to help and support with the crisis.
The authority says the 15-point plan has not been ratified and it will now “explore solutions and implementation” in the coming weeks.
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