Manchester council is set to open public libraries as 'warm banks' this winter as the city faces a grim combination of falling temperatures and rising energy bills.
Town hall chiefs are working on other plans to support struggling families as it gets colder, but the MEN understands the specifics of these policies will depend on what new Prime Minister Liz Truss announces in her bid to tackle the skyrocketing cost of electricity and gas. In the meantime, libraries will serve as free, heated spaces for people to keep warm as the temperature drops over the next few months.
Wigan and Tameside councils have already confirmed plans to use their own public buildings as 'heat banks', with other local authorities in Greater Manchester spending millions to support those struggling to pay their bills.
