East Riding of Yorkshire Councillors united over pre-payment meter ban motion

Councillors from the ruling Conservatives and opposition Liberal Democrats backed East Riding Leader Cllr Jonathan Owen’s motion on pre-payment meters on Wednesday (October 5).

Cllr Owen’s motion called for the Government to stop energy firms putting customers on pre-payment meters and to ensure those already on them were getting all the support they needed.

The leader also announced a raft of broader cost of living issues including launching Help for Households and Help for Business campaigns and expanding the remit of existing offers.

Cllr Owen’s motion comes alongside similar calls from Citizens Advice in Hull and the East Riding.

It called for people to be supported in getting energy rebates and emergency credit for their bills if they are entitled to it.

Both councillors from the ruling Conservatives and opposition also backed a motion opposing fracking in the East Riding from Liberal Democrat Cllr Linda Johnson.

Cllr Johnson’s motion said fracking was inappropriate for the area and called on the council to write to the Government making local opposition clear.

It came after Prime Minister Liz Truss said fracking would only go ahead in areas where it was supported locally when she announced a moratorium on it was being lifted.

A motion from independent Cllr Paul Nickeron calling for free school meals to be offered to all children was also passed with cross-party support.

The council is also set to look into automatically enrolling eligible families onto the programme locally instead of them having to opt-in system amid concerns some are missing out.

Cllr Owen said he also agreed with Liberal Democrat leader Cllr David Nolan that newly-proposed Investment Zones should not shut out local input on development.

Cllr Nolan said: “Instead of growth, growth, growth, we could instead end up with bulldoze, bulldoze, bulldoze.”

But Conservative councillors voted down a motion from the Liberal Democrat leader calling for a one-off windfall tax on oil and gas companies to help struggling households.

Cllr Nolan’s motion stated the levy could raise an estimated £5bn and help more than 17m people with energy bills by extending the Warm Home Discount and Winter Fuel Allowance.

But Conservative Cllr Leo Hammond said the East Riding was dependent on investment from energy companies to level up and a windfall tax would send the wrong message to them.