Council called to account for failing to meet fuel poverty targets

Date published: 22/08/2008

Rochdale’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk, has urged the Council to recommit to tackling fuel poverty in the Borough after it has emerged that a key pledge to introduce a fuel poverty officer has yet to be fulfilled – nearly five months after the Lib Dems promised to have created the post!

With a Council survey showing that 34 per cent of the total households in Rochdale are in fuel poverty, Mr Danczuk said the promises listed in the Council’s Affordable Warmth Action Plan needed to be delivered to protect some of the most vulnerable people this winter.

“One of these pledges,” he explained, “is to create the post of a fuel poverty officer. This was supposed to have been completed by March 2008. We have since made enquiries and the Council has informed us that they do not have a fuel poverty officer. Despite the Council being happy to waste over £100,000 on upgrading offices for the Lib Dems and creating a People’s Champion that answers a handful of complaints a month, are they now going to tell us that they have quietly dropped this promise?”

Former Councillor, Lynne Brosnan, added that she recently phoned the Council to ask who the post holder was so she could seek fuel poverty advice for the over 50’s club. “I was told they didn’t have a fuel poverty officer and that I should approach the DHSS with my concerns,” she said.

The Council’s Affordable Warmth Strategy contains a long list of pledges to provide affordable warmth to all Rochdale residents and is presented by the former Housing Portfolio Holder, Councillor Zulf Ali. Among these pledges include the development of easy to read SMART metering across the Borough and a programme for referrals to sources of financial support and advice services.

Concerned Labour Councillors are now calling on the council to provide an urgent update on whether these pledges, which should have been completed by March 28, have actually been met.

“Councillor Ali described himself as the ‘most hardworking man in Rochdale’ in the lead up to the local elections,” said Councillor Ibrar Khan. “Well he clearly wasn’t working hard to deliver the fuel poverty officer he promised, which might explain why he is no longer the portfolio holder. I hope the new portfolio holder for housing, Councillor Brophy-Lee, will quickly get this action plan back on track so we can help those most in need this winter.”

Mr Danczuk also urged Rochdale Council to step up its efforts to achieve ‘beacon status’ for tackling fuel poverty. “Other councils are making great progress in devising strategies to tackle fuel poverty and promote energy efficiency. With the summer almost gone and winter months approaching we need to ensure that Rochdale strives to do the same.

“I am pushing our Government to introduce policies that do more to tackle fuel poverty, but at a local level we need the Lib Dems to buck their ideas up, deliver their promises and pledge to do more.”