Resilience
Climate change is not only a challenge of the future. We are already observing changes in the UK climate, with average temperatures having risen by around 1ºC over the last century. We are seeing a trend towards warmer winters and hotter summers, sea levels around our coast are rising by around 3mm a year and there is emerging evidence of changing rainfall patterns [2]. In 2017 the Government published the UK climate change risk assessment [2].
The report identifies six priority risk areas
- flooding and coastal change
- to health and well-being from high temperatures
- water shortages
- to natural capital (including freshwater ecosystems, soils and biodiversity)
- to food production and trade
- from pests and diseases and invasive non-native species.
This national risk assessment is due to be revised in 2022.
Further information about our resilience works can be found within the councils climate emergency strategy.
 |
In acknowledging the effects of climate change, and the likely future effects, we must plan for actions to prepare the borough for the effects of these changes and put in place actions to mitigate their effects.
Our resilience actions will include:
|
Commitment |
Action |
Partners |
Timescale |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tackling infectious disease |
Continue to investigate cases and outbreaks of food and water related infectious diseases |
National Government, Food Standards Agency, Public Health England, United Utilities, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) |
Annual Ongoing |
|
Responding to emerging pathogens |
Continue to work with partners to identify and respond to emerging cases and outbreaks of infectious diseases |
National Government, Food Standards Agency, Public Health England, CIEH |
Annual Ongoing |
|
Commitment |
Action |
Partners |
Timescale |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SRBC Sustainable food procurement |
Reduce volume of meat used and ordered, purchase more local and seasonal food to reduce food miles |
National Government, Food Standards Agency, DEFRA, trading standards service, Local Government Association, PHE, CIEH |
Annual Ongoing |
|
Continuing to meet the Councils statutory food safety commitments |
Continue to ensure that food manufactured, stored, distributed, prepared and sold within the Bborough is safe for human consumption. |
National Government, Food Standards Agency,DEFRA, trading standards service, Local Government Association, PHE, CIEH |
Annual Ongoing |
|
Continuing to inform consumer choices |
Maintenance of the national food hygiene rating scheme |
Food Standards Agency |
Annual Ongoing |
|
Continuing to participate in the national food safety sampling programme |
Working with partners to target the annual sampling programme to focus attention on foods of high risk, emerging risks and new / novel foodstuffs, imported foods |
National Government, Food Standards Agency, DEFRA, trading standards service, Local Government Association, PHE, CIEH |
Annual Ongoing |
|
Working with partners to promote best practice and ensure consistency |
Sharing best practice, avoiding duplication of work, providing shared training opportunities |
The food safety technical group, forming part of Environmental health Lancashire |
Annual Ongoing |
|
Commitment |
Action |
Partners |
Timescale |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Consider climate emergency in all planning developments |
Assess likely impact of climate change and impact upon proposed development to ensure the development can withstand changes and does not exacerbate the problem |
National Government, Environment Agency, Lancashire County Council |
Annual Ongoing |
|
Embed climate resilience within planning process |
Continued collaboration with Lancashire County Council and the Environment Agency Ensure flood defences, excess heat are considered as part of planning applications. |
National Government, Environment Agency, Lancashire County Council |
Annual Ongoing |
|
Encourage regardening |
Encourage change from hard, impervious surface such as concrete to gardens and ponds to improve biodiversity and reduce water run off |
Residents forum, community hub |
Short term |
|
Reduce soil erosion along river |
Work with landowners and farming community to encourage planting and green banking protection measures |
National Government, Environment Agency, Lancashire County Council, local landowners, community hubs |
Short term |
|
Continue to provide a timely and robust response to local flooding events |
Continue to provide support to residents and local businesses following local flooding events |
National Government, Environment Agency, Lancashire County Council |
Annual Ongoing |