Coventry City Council is drawing up plans to keep essential services going during the fuel crisis, but a huge open day planned at Coventry University could be hit.

The council received a delivery today of 21,000 litres, bringing its supplies up to 36,000 litres.

In addition it has used its account to buy 8,000 litres for West Midlands Ambulance Service, who will refund the council at cost price.

Councillors and officials have been monitoring the situation on an hourly basis and drawn up contingency plans on what to do if supplies dwindle.

Social and welfare services across the city are to remain a priority, and the city council will help other emergency services from its supplies if need be,

Refuse collection services are to continue for the time being, but non-essential or non-urgent services will be cut back to conserve fuel.

Council leader Nick Nolan said the council was in constant contact with other service providers in the city.

He said:

“We must all do all we can to ensure that the most vulnerable in our community are protected during this time.

“If that means the council shares what fuel it has with emergency services, health care services or other services offering vital care to our citizens then that is what we shall do.

“The council is maintaining its essential services, including refuse collection, but we have made some prudent cut backs in less essential areas to ensure that what fuel we have s used wisely.

“Obviously we shall have to review our services as the situation develops.

“I hope that the public will share our view that the priority must be to attend first to those people who rely on us each day, perhaps for nursing or home care of for meals on wheels and other support services.

“We are in daily, even hourly, contact with services like the fire and ambulance, the health bodies and the police to keep in touch with the overall picture and so that we can be ready to work together to protect those in greatest need in our community.”

One of the biggest open days for prospective students ever is due to be held at Coventry University this weekend.

Teenagers are expected to come from all over the country to find out about the courses on offer for the 2001 academic year.

But the fuel crisis threatens to limit the numbers who actually turn up.

A Coventry University spokesman said that the open day would go ahead as planned, and others were being held throughout the year. A lot of the 1,800 people booked to come are from nearby and still might make it.

He said:

”It was to be on of the most successful we’ve ever had. We’ve got a lot of people booked in but we will have to wait and see if they are able to get here.”