I was pleased to jointly present a motion with fellow Independent Councillors to make Chippenham Town Hall reception a warm room for residents struggling to heat their homes through the difficult cost of living crisis in the winter of 2022.
Perhaps surprisingly it received considerable opposition from some councillors and was narrowly voted through by a single vote. It was a passionate debate and one which I strongly believed in.
Councillor Matthew Short, one of the Independents who backed the motion, said: “I passionately support this motion; I believe it is for councillors to serve the people of Chippenham and support residents in this time of need.”
COUNCILLOR MOTION
To consider the following motion from Councillors Pete Cousins, Declan Baseley, James Bradbury, Gemma Grimes, Angie Litvak-Watson, Nick Murry, David Poole, Chris Ruck, Matthew Short and Myla Watts.
In order to help Chippenham residents through this difficult time we propose the following:
1. That the Chief Executive is requested to write to the Chief Executive of Wiltshire, requesting that Wiltshire Council consider the setting up of ‘warm rooms’, for Chippenham residents. We believe that Chippenham Town Council should request that they allocate space at the Olympiad, Monkton Park Offices and the Library, which will be available to Chippenham residents as places to sit and keep warm during the forthcoming autumn and winter.
2. We would also request that Full Council consider making the reception area within the Town Hall available for residents during the day, as a place to sit and keep warm, delegating the detail of how this is delivered to the Chief Executive.
Background
Over past months residents of Chippenham have been hit with a large increase in the cost of living. Food costs, housing cost and energy costs have risen rapidly leaving many Chippenham residents having to make difficult decisions, in some cases having to choose between heating their homes or buying food and other essentials.
We feel these actions will go some way towards demonstrating to Chippenham residents that the Town Council is on their side and helping to support them through these times of potential great difficulty.
You can see the minutes of the meeting here… https://chippenham.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=153&MId=726&Ver=4
Here is the voting result…
‘ii) We would also request that Full Council consider making the reception area within the Town Hall available for residents during the day, as a place to sit and keep warm, delegating the detail of how this is delivered to the Chief Executive.’
|
For |
Against |
Abstention |
|
Pete Cousins |
Desna Allen |
Clare Cape |
|
Gemma Grimes |
Liz Alstrom |
Hayley Wilson |
|
Conor Melvin |
Jenny Budgell |
|
|
Nick Murry |
Bill Douglas |
|
|
David Poole |
Kathryn Macdermid |
|
|
Chris Ruck |
Nic Puntis |
|
|
Matthew Short |
George Simmonds |
|
|
Myla Watts |
|
|
|
Total – 8 |
Total – 7 |
Total – 2 |
With all in favour of part i) of the motion and the majority in favour of part ii) of the motion, it was;
RESOLVED that:
- i) Council agreed to request the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Executive of Wiltshire, requesting that Wiltshire Council consider the setting up of ‘warm rooms’, for Chippenham residents. The letter should request that they allocate space at the Olympiad, Monkton Park Offices, and the Library, which will be available to Chippenham residents as places to sit and keep warm during the forthcoming autumn and winter.
- ii) Council agreed to consider making the reception area within the Town Hall available for residents during the day, as a place to sit and keep warm, delegating the detail of how this is delivered to the Chief Executive.
The Wiltshire Times covered the debate here…
https://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/22953020.independent-councillors-vote-town-hall-warm-room-initiative/