Council chiefs are to come up with a winter action plan to help residents across Warwick district deal with the looming cost of living crisis.

Officers are to sit down with leading councillors to devise a scheme offering practical support to those struggling to pay rising fuel bills and cope with soaring inflation.

Announcing the move at last week's full council meeting of Warwick District Council, leader Cllr Andrew Day read a statement prepared on behalf of all the group leaders.

He declared: "This council recognises the tough financial choices that will be taken by our residents this winter to address double-digit inflation and a surge in energy costs, and agrees that a local action plan is an urgent priority.

"Government support initiatives are noted, however, there is a clear role for this council working in cooperation with other authorities, businesses and community groups. Learning from the successful programmes delivered during the pandemic, it is important that a coordinated local plan is created to ensure support gets to where it is needed most."

Cllr Day explained that officers were already working to ensure residents claimed all the benefits and financial assistance they were entitled to but that the winter action plan would go further.

He added: "Now is the moment to refocus efforts on a comprehensive action plan so we can utilise all our public assets to protect the most vulnerable and minimise the longer term damage that this unprecedented situation could inflict on our communities."

The Liberal Democrats had tabled a notice of motion calling for action but this was withdrawn once the statement from group leaders had been agreed.

In the original motion, Cllr Alan Boad referred to the worst cost of living crisis for 50 years, adding: "We call upon the council to urgently form a 'task group' of members and officers.

"The practical support should include the creation of a network of 'welcoming spaces' where residents can access warmth and socialise whilst helping to keep the cost of bills at home down by utilising currently heated, but underused, space run by teams of volunteers."

Speaking at the meeting, he went on: "The community came together during Covid – this is as big as Covid and actually could be more disastrous in terms of debt and poverty. We will have some people who will be making the choice of heating or eating and that is wrong."

The group of leading cross-party councillors and senior officers will update council on the plan's progress at a meeting of the leadership coordinating group on September 19.