Agenda item

Councillors Fradgley and Chilvers introduced the report. They thanked Councillor Timms for her involvement as the portfolio holder and thanked officers from across the council who had provided evidence to the group. The recommendations aimed to provide officers with a framework to help them address the challenges presented by a changing and less predictable climate.

Councillor Timms stated that she welcomed the report and felt that the recommendations aligned well with the work being undertaken by the Council as part of its Climate Emergency Work. She stated that consideration of climate change needed to be embedded across the council and that climate change mitigation and adaptation needed to be driven forward together.

In response to the Chair, Councillor Chilvers stated that the MET Office’s climate projections were taken from the best available science and then broken down to a regional level.

Councillor Holland welcomed the report and reflected upon the difficulties caused by very high temperatures in the summer that had been reported by a local NHS hospital trust to the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He stated that the best science available was not as complete as it could be and that the Council had to be mindful that projections would change. Councillor Holland also praised the Council’s Water Management and Flood Risk Team whose work had improved water management and flood risk alleviation works associated with both new developments and redevelopment of brown field sites.

Councillor Kondakor echoed the praise for the Water Management and Flood Risk Team but that work needed to be done to ensure that planning conditions were enforced. He emphasised the need to act to safeguard homes and business against flooding by designing in better ways to manage rainfall.

Councillor Butlin stated that while the report focused upon hotter weather it was important not to lose sight of the need to prepare for winter pressure in the social care and health system.

Councillor Kondakor noted that better insulated houses would both stay cooler in the summer and hotter in the winter.

The Committee unanimously agreed to forward the report to Cabinet.

Resolved:

That the Communities Overview and Scrutiny approves the following recommendations to be forwarded to Cabinet for endorsement:

1. Adopts the Met Office’s UK Climate Projections as the basis of Warwickshire County Council’s expectation of the climate in 2050 and plans to this effect.

2. Provide clear direction through the Council Plan 2020-2025 detailing actions that will be taken to prepare Warwickshire for the change in climate to come.

3. Includes the impact of projected climate change in the assessment criteria for prioritising options and schemes that come forward for capital investment, which will prepare Warwickshire for the 2050 projected climate.

4. Produces an updated Climate Impact Assessment for Warwickshire assessing the economic and social impact of the expected changes in climate on key areas of the Council’s responsibility and quantifying the costs of investment against the costs of inaction.

5. Establishes a standing group comprised of members from all political groups and officers, chaired by the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Heritage & Culture to advance work on climate change adaptation.

i) That the standing group uses the themes identified in this report to develop an action plan within six months setting out the activity to be undertaken by the County Council in the short, medium and long term.

ii) That consideration be given to the establishment of a dedicated resource to coordinate climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.