Greens call for cold weather advice.

The Green Party are calling on the Council to promote home insulation as well as asking the government for a fairer way of giving out Cold Weather Payments. The Greens are putting an amendment to the Lib Dems’ motion which says that a Sheffield weather station should be used to decide if vulnerable people need the payments.

The Green amendment asks that any Council campaign should encourage people to seek advice from agencies such as the Sustainable Housing and Affordable Warmth (SHAW) team, South Yorkshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (SYEEC), Home HEAT helpline, Warm Front and the South Yorkshire Energy Centre at Heeley City Farm

Coun Creasy said, "Of course we want people in Sheffield to get their fair
entitlement of Cold Weather Payments (as per the Lib Dem motion) - but the best way to save money is to save energy. We should be encouraging people to get advice about how to do this, including subsidies for insulation and more efficient heating systems. The Green Party were responsible for getting funding for the South Yorkshire Energy Centre which can really help people save energy. That is good for people's pockets and the planet."

ENDS

Amendment to NOM 6 re Cold Weather Payments
Proposed by Cllr Creasy, seconded by Cllr Little

Add after (k):

(l) Notes that the best way to save money and the planet is to invest in energy saving and therefore directs that any Council campaign should also encourage people to seek advice from agencies such as the Sustainable Housing and Affordable Warmth (SHAW) team, South Yorkshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (SYEEC), Home HEAT helpline, Warm Front and the South Yorkshire Energy Centre at Heeley City Farm.”

That this Council: -

(a) believes it is more important than ever that local people receive all
the financial aid they are entitled to in order to help them keep their homes
warm this Winter;

(b) notes that ‘Cold Weather Payments’ of £25 to local people are
triggered when the average temperature falls below 0 degrees for a period of time;

(c) notes with dismay that the Government uses three separate weather
stations in Nottingham, Bingley and Linton-on-Ouse to measure temperatures for different parts of Sheffield as part of the ‘Cold Weather Payments’ scheme;

(d) notes that this nonsensical way of measuring temperature levels in
Sheffield has led to some parts of Sheffield receiving a ‘Cold Weather Payment’ whereas others have received nothing;

(e) furthermore notes that some of the areas which have unfairly lost out
include some of the most deprived parts of Sheffield which contain a higher
proportion of people who are in need of extra financial help to heat their
homes;

(f) believes that the Government should adopt a fairer system by using
one temperature measurement within Sheffield, at the Weston Park Weather Station, to gauge if local people across Sheffield are entitled to a ‘Cold Weather Payment’ and therefore welcomes the fact that the Leader of Council has written to the Prime Minister to express this view and call for action;

(g) notes with dismay that the Prime Minster’s Office has responded to
this request with a standard response without making any reference to making the ‘Cold Weather Payment’ system fairer for Sheffield;

(h) does not believe that it is acceptable for the Prime Minster to
ignore this request made on behalf of the people of Sheffield, therefore calls on Gordon Brown to listen and give the go ahead to put this illogical system right so that local people get a fair deal;

(i) asks for the support of all the local Sheffield MPs on this issue
and urges them to use their influence in Westminster to ensure that the Prime Minister listens to Sheffield’s call for action;

(j) directs that a copy of this motion is sent to the Prime Minister and
all local Sheffield MPs; and

(k) also directs that, if the Prime Minister again fails to listen to
this request, the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of Council be permitted to start up a Council campaign on the issue and views expressed in this motion.

ENDS