Council launches new strategy to help area adapt to a changing climate

New council strategy sets out a plan to help communities, places and services adapt to a changing climate in Westmorland and Furness.

At a meeting of Cabinet this week (Tuesday 21 April), members unanimously agreed a Climate Adaptation Plan which affirms the council's commitment to strengthening climate resilience across Westmorland and Furness.

This latest strategy marks the third pillar of the Council's climate and nature programme of work, following the publication of its Climate Change Action Plan and Nature Strategy. Together, these strategies form the Council's response to the climate and biodiversity crises first declared by the Westmorland and Furness Shadow Authority on 28 September 2022 and later adopted by the Council.

The document sets out how communities, infrastructure and the natural environment can be better prepared for and protected from the impacts we are already experiencing by the climate and biodiversity crises. While reducing emissions remains essential, the Council highlights that mitigation alone cannot protect communities from the increasingly intense weather events already being experienced in the area.

Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council's Cabinet Member for Climate, Biodiversity and Environmental Services, said:

"Climate change is already affecting our residents, our landscape and our infrastructure. This strategy marks a significant step in the council's long term commitment to a safer, more resilient and climate ready future for Westmorland and Furness.

"It's about preparing responsibly for the challenges we know are coming, while supporting communities to become more resilient and better able to cope with future disruption.

"It provides a useful, evidence based starting point to support future investment and outlines the initial actions that can help improve resilience for people, places and services across Westmorland and Furness. Adaptation is essential, and this strategy is an important step forward in better understanding the changes ahead and how everyone might respond."

The Strategy has been informed by the Cumbria Climate Change Risk Analysis, commissioned by Cumbria Innovative Flood Resilience (CiFR) and delivered by Nottingham Trent University. The findings show that Cumbria is likely to experience hotter and drier summers, milder and wetter winters, more intense rainfall, strong winds and coastal erosion in the coming decades. The strategy outlines how the Council will respond to these risks and support communities to prepare for the changing climate.

Local authorities across the country are not yet resourced to deliver an area wide programme of climate adaptation. However, the Strategy provides a foundation for Westmorland and Furness Council to secure future investment, including through the Cumbria Combined Authority and national Government. It sets out how local priorities align with regional and national policy, strengthening the case for funding to deliver adaptation actions as resources become available.

Community conversations held in December and January showed broad support for the Council's approach, particularly around strengthening community resilience, with residents and groups keen to help shape local actions. The Strategy will now be used across all departments of the Council to embed climate resilience into services, operations, physical assets, local communities, businesses and the natural environment.

The Council will also work closely with the Cumbria Combined Authority as it develops a county wide resilience strategy, supported by funding from the Local Resilience Forum Trailblazers programme.