In this section you will learn about the approaches that can be used to adapt the public and voluntary services to identified climate change impacts over the next 50 years.

These approaches are intended to build resilience, limit negative impacts, and enable society and appropriate organisations to benefit from opportunities presented by the changing climate. As in the impacts section, social housing is considered separately, although measures are closely linked to public assets. Waste, parkland management, cemeteries and crematoria and library service are considered together.

 

 

 

Overarching adaptation measures to public and voluntary assets

Over-arching adaptation measures apply to assets in all sub-sectors of the region, and within each sub-region.

• Appropriate guttering and drainage for buildings, use of water butts for collection of water as temporary ‘holds’ of water before it reaches drainage system. Grey water to be used to water landscaping and for sanitary use. This would lessen the effect of seasonal water reductions and serve a wider purpose of reducing pressures on water infrastructure. This should be set up as early as possible;
• Especially suited to flat roofs are green roofs. Where appropriate, employ green roofs to intercept and absorb rainfall to slow down entry into drainage channels, and helping to reduce flooding impacts downstream of building. Green roofs will also improve the albedo effect, reducing radiation of heat and will help to insulate buildings and improve local biodiversity. This should be set up as early as possible;
• Linked with green roofs, are sustainable drainage systems that should be incorporated into the property curtilage in order to improve drainage and prevent increased runoff and overloading of existing surrounding drainage channels. This should be set up in communication with the local water company, Environment Agency and local authority, as early as possible;
• Passive ventilation should be installed (either through retro fit or through new building design) in buildings, as well as shading and other methods to reduce solar radiation into learning and work space during summer. The ventilation will also help with general indoor air quality issues such as damp and fungal spores. This should be set up as early as possible.

Education and Schools

• A set-aside maintenance and repair budget for school building roofs and building skin, developed through adapting current budgetary mechanisms, would ease the costs of any damage that is incurred as a result of, for instance, water damage. This should be set up at school level, with assistance from LEAs, as necessary, as early as possible;
• Linked to the above, Schools, with assistance from LEAs and Partnerships for Schools, should undertake a review of building material, fabric and condition, accounting for climatic changes over the next 50 years;
• In times of flooding and resulting limited access to schools, other schools in the neighbourhood could take in pupils to assist with education needs, which could also help alleviate requirements for alternative care. This should be set up at school level, as early as possible;
• School uniform and dress codes may need evolving for the hotter summer temperatures – that could include hats and clothing that protect skin whilst ensuring comfort. This should be set up at school level, for the medium to long term;
• LEAs to issue free sun cream for school children (medium to long term), and schools to incorporate outdoor shaded areas for outdoor learning, to maintain a duty of care in situations where greater outdoor learning, comfortable learning conditions and to address level of time spent outdoors, may occur;

Schools and universities are and will continue to play a strong role in climate change adaptation and bringing about behavioural change and awareness through education about the environment and research.

Emergency Services

• Review personnel and staffing levels (on strategic service level) in light of a potential future need for increased number of emergency service personnel, as early as possible. This could be tackled by either employing more personnel directly or through increased training of reserve emergency personnel;
• The strategic service level authority to review the location of fire stations and personnel to ensure future ability to respond to increased number of flooding and fires, noting that there are likely to be far more rural fires (grassland/forest). This will need government backing and should be reviewed and implemented as soon as possible;
• Hotter temperatures during response to moorland / grassland fires will require more staff, due to risks of heat exhaustion, and a review of equipment limitations. Different shift / working patterns should be explored in the medium term by the local and strategic Fire and Rescue Department;
• Investigate the use of grey water for fire fighting and training, reducing water demands, and vulnerability to water shortages by the strategic service level, and could require government backing for implementation in the short-medium term;
• Formulation of robust emergency response plans for dealing with future increase in forest fires, particularly for fire and rescue services that have large amounts of forestry, heathland land, etc. within their area. In particular, pre-planning the provision of adequate water supplies to deal with the incident would alert the service to any potential water supply problems. This should occur on the strategic service level;
• Greater targeted public education to attempt to limit the incidence of accidental and deliberate fires, by the Fire and Rescue Service in co-ordination with the local authorities;
• In case of high risk of forest, heathland etc. fires in a particular locale, consider the introduction of vegetation breaks to help prevent spread and/or non-vegetated buffer zones to protect buildings and property. This should be considered by the National Parks Authority, private land owners, public owned land (and Forestry Commission), and the Fire and Rescue Service.

Military

• Consider future resourcing of appropriately trained Armed Forces personnel in light of the likely additional pressure on domestic need. This should occur at the MOD level agreed together with the Armed Forces strategic departments;
• Assessment of the resilience of Defence Estates in coastal locations, such as ports and coastal training areas, to future storm surges, sea level rise and subsidence. Defence Estates should review and implement as early as possible;
• Training must be developed to prepare troops for greater environmental extremes overseas, which could lead to renewed requirement for training centres within the UK;
• Adequate training, co-operation and availability of the Armed Forces in their assistance in extreme events, in particular, partnership with Territorial Army units that are widely located throughout the region, organised through the Regional Resilience Forum.

Emergency Planning

• Carry out a long-term assessment of emergency plans to consider anticipated climatic-induced risks for next fifty years, conducted through the regional resilience forum. To reduce the risk of loss of life and respond to an increased frequency of emergencies, emergency planning needs to ensure that resource allocation matches the changing risk, that emergency equipment is updated to meet increased risk, that emergency plans are updated to respond to increasing frequency and extent of extreme events. Establish and maintain necessary networks and lines of communication;
• To prevent and limit impact to vulnerable communities, contingency planners should use the index of multiple deprivation maps as ‘red risk’ areas, on which to focus climate change adaptation activity. A number of approaches to adaptation can be taken, such as a personalised adaptation planning, increased education/awareness, or household / community National Indicator 188 (Adapting to Climate Change) assessments. This should occur as early as possible;
• There is a need to integrate NI 188 and climate change adaptation planning with resilience forums to prepare for and adapt to extreme events, such as consideration as to whether capacity is already in place and subsequent capacity building. This should occur at the Regional Resilience Forum level, as early as possible;
• Ensure the set up of regional flood groups to address pluvial and fluvial flooding (these are currently only on a voluntary basis – termed regional flood defence committees – and are mostly concerned with coastal defence) and adequate support to resource and run the established groups;
• Maintain robust communication and reporting links between emergency plans and National Health Watch, developed by the Met Office and Department of Health;
• Ensure that public and voluntary social service considerations are integrated into emergency plans in order to ensure adequate social service resourcing and skills, to be conducted on the local authority level through the regional resilience forum;
• Ensure adequate communication systems in place and plans for co-ordinated response between emergency services, social services, voluntary sector and Armed Forces prior to any extreme event for protection and search and rescue operations;
• Ensure resilience and protection of key infrastructure, including electricity, gas and water supplies, emergency communications and co-ordination centres through emergency planning teams. This should happen through the regional resilience forum for widespread implementation.

Public Assets

• At appropriate review points, assess the location of public buildings and estates to flooding and if necessary, consider moving to less vulnerable areas those that are vital for emergency planning and operations;
• Local authorities should adequately insure themselves against the effects of climate change, based on risk based assessments and continual updating of the risk register. Planned prioritisation should also feature in this exercise.

Social Housing

• There are significant opportunities for housing refurbishment in the Yorkshire and Humber region, due to the large number of non-decent homes in the region (38%) and being the second highest in England for those experiencing fuel poverty. Linked to those measures under the overarching adaptation measures, is the refurbishment of housing stock in relation to energy efficiency, whether related to improvements made to the building fabric (double / triple glazing, wall, roof insulation etc) and technologies (smart metering, condensing boilers as standard etc.), but also to employment of community heat, power and renewables schemes (particularly suited to blocks of flats and housing estates). Refurbishment should also encompass adaptation of flood-prone homes, such as flood gates, hard floors, raised electrics etc.;  
• Climate change adaptation activity and refurbishment could start by using the index of multiple deprivation approach as the ‘red risk’ areas. This would help take forward community scale NI 188 assessments;
• Consider and implement a new funding strategy that is more long-term focussed than five year spending plans, such as revolving funds, that will provide for energy efficiency in homes and community wide renewable energy schemes.

Public and Voluntary Services

• Local Authorities have the opportunity to present themselves as community leader’s through outreach on issues surrounding climate change, such as through work towards NI 188, initiating proactive projects with community groups, and through long-term schemes taking an outcomes-assessment approach;
• Climate change adaptation needs to become far greater integrated within the community, where people are aware of and understand mitigation and adaptation techniques, this will help people understand what they can, can’t and should be doing with their properties, and help bring about behavioural change. This could be implemented via voluntary organisations through grants from Government Office for Yorkshire and Humber, local authorities etc;
• Ensure suitable levels of repair and maintenance of community facilities – such as village halls - since they are heavily relied upon during flooding and other emergency situations for evacuation and operational response;
• Understand existing drainage layout and prepare drainage maps, to ensure full understanding of maintenance obligations which will help reduce flood likelihood;
• The region creates high levels of household and industrial waste and is at present a net exporter of waste to other regions. The waste sector is untapped as an economic opportunity, with experiences in other regions demonstrating the value of developing waste processing facilities and industries. This region should look at developing the sector, with the aim of becoming self contained;
• Research the effect of increased temperature and water availability on decomposition rates and effects on landfill sites, anaerobic digestion and other waste treatment techniques, and ensure that current and future management of sites, by or on behalf of local authorities, takes full account of likely future climatic conditions;
• Review / assess requirement for sufficient leachate and aerosol collection systems around all waste management sites to deal with concentrated leachate as well as to collect runoff;
• Assess the need to alter waste collections, particularly of mixed and / separated organic waste during summer months. Supply of appropriate organic collection containers for segregated organic waste collections;
• Control waste collection points, sited in residential areas, particularly relevant for residents without storage space within their property curtilage;
• Managing rainwater run-off will be of crucial importance, as will water conservation measures such as soil mulching and harvesting rainwater, such methods can be implemented as early as possible;
• Where excess water will need to be managed, to prevent waterlogging, parkland and public gardens should provide water storage areas. This would then be used during summer shortages. Drainage and storage could be part of a community wide drainage scheme;
• Careful management of soil to increase rooting depths and moisture-holding properties may also conserve a significant amount of water;
• After periods of intense rainfall, where essential nutrients could be leached from the soil, it will be essential to replace organic matter to maintain soil fertility;
• Conversely, during times of drought and hot weather, it might be necessary to remove the litter layer that could assist fire propagation during tinder dry conditions;
• Herbicide spraying will need to take place earlier in the year to have the greatest effect;
• Introduction of biological pest control to control spread of existing and new pests and weeds;
• Planning of multifunctional accessible greenspace and associated green infrastructure on neighbourhood level, taking full account of future impacts of climate change. This will need to consider species choice, management regimes, and planned understanding of what the greenspace is to deliver, utilising community groups. Local Strategic Partnerships should deliver this together with community groups and local authorities.
• Location of new cemeteries and crematoria in non flood prone areas, giving due consideration to future flood zones;
• Ensure appropriate controls on water flows around cemeteries, through building drainage channels surrounding the cemetery to help drain away excess water to prevent waterlogging and to assist grave diggers. Frequent testing of the drainage water to test for mercury, heavy metals etc.

Places of Worship

Places of worship may need to pay particular attention to the need for cooling during the higher summer temperatures due to the large numbers of people in an enclosed space.

 

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| North Yorkshire | West Yorkshire | Humber | South Yorkshire |

 

Overarching adaptation measures to public and voluntary assets
The general over-arching adaptation measures for assets set out in the regional adaptation assessment also applies to all sub-sectors in the North Yorkshire sub-region.

Education and Schools

• A set-aside maintenance and repair budget for school building roofs and building skin, developed through adapting current budgetary mechanisms, would ease the costs of any damage that is incurred as a result of, for instance, water damage. This should be set up at school level, with assistance from LEAs, as necessary, as early as possible;
• In times of flooding and resulting limited access to schools, other schools in the neighbourhood could take in pupils to assist with education needs, which could also help alleviate requirements for alternative care arrangements. This should be set up at school level, as early as possible;
• School uniform and dress codes may need evolving for the hotter summer temperatures – that could include hats and clothing that protect skin whilst ensuring comfort. This should be set up at school level, for the medium to long term;
• LEAs to issue free sun cream for school children (medium to long term), and schools to incorporate outdoor shaded areas for outdoor learning, to maintain a duty of care in situations where greater outdoor learning, comfortable learning conditions and to address level of time spent outdoors, may occur.

Emergency Services

• As priority, there should be increased protection and adaptation to the Police Force Headquarters in Newby Wiske, Fire and Rescue Headquarters in Northallerton, and ambulance coordination centre in York, to cope with flooding incidents, higher temperatures and improved ventilation;
• Hotter temperatures during response to moorland / grassland fires will require more staff due to prevention of heat exhaustion and review of equipment limitations. Different shift / working patterns should be explored in the medium term by the local and strategic Fire and Rescue Department;
• Investigate the use of grey water for fire fighting and training, reducing water demands, and vulnerability to water shortages by the strategic service level, and could require government backing for implementation in the short-medium term;
• In case of high risk of forest, heathland etc. fires in a particular locale, consider the introduction of vegetation breaks within the areas to help prevent spread and/or non-vegetated buffer zones to protect buildings and property. This should be considered by the National Parks Authority, private land owners, public owned land (and Forestry Commission), and the Fire and Rescue Service.

Military

• As priority, there should be protection and adaptation to cope with flooding incidents, higher temperatures and improved ventilation of the RAF Menwith and RAF Fylingdales bases and Catterick Army Base, with a particular opportunity of high environmental design standards arising from the expansion of the base to a 25,000 capacity;
• Adequate training, co-operation and availability of the Armed Forces in their assistance in extreme events, in particular, partnership with Territorial Army units that are widely located throughout the sub-region, organised through the Local Resilience Forum.

Emergency Planning

• To prevent and limit impact to vulnerable communities, contingency planners should use the index of multiple deprivation maps as ‘red risk’ areas, on which to focus climate change adaptation activity. A number of approaches to adaptation can be taken, such as a personalised adaptation planning, increased education/awareness, or household / community NI 188 assessments. This should occur as early as possible;
• There is a need to integrate NI 188 and climate change adaptation planning with resilience forums to prepare for and adapt to extreme events, such as consideration as to whether capacity is already in place and subsequent capacity building. This should occur at the Regional Resilience Forum level, as early as possible;

Public Assets

• Adaptation measures listed under ‘over-arching’ adaptation measures are relevant here.

Social Housing

• Linked to those measures under the overarching adaptation measures, is the refurbishment of housing stock in relation to energy efficiency, whether related to improvements made to the building fabric (double / triple glazing, wall, roof insulation etc) and technologies (smart metering, condensing boilers as standard etc.), but also to employment of community heat, power and renewables schemes (particularly suited to blocks of flats and housing estates). Refurbishment should also encompass adaptation of flood-prone homes, such as flood gates, hard floors, raised electrics etc.; 
• Climate change adaptation activity and refurbishment could start by using the index of multiple deprivation approach as the ‘red risk’ areas. This would help take forward community scale NI 188 assessments;
• Consider and implement a new funding strategy that is more long-term focussed than five year spending plans, such as revolving funds, that will provide for energy efficiency in homes and community wide renewable energy schemes.

Public and Voluntary Services

• Climate change adaptation needs to become far greater integrated within the community, where people are aware of and understand mitigation and adaptation techniques, this will help people understand what they can, can’t and should be doing with their properties, and help bring about behavioural change. This could be implemented via voluntary organisations through grants from Government Office for Yorkshire and Humber, local authorities etc;
• Ensure suitable levels of repair and maintenance of community facilities – such as village halls, since they are heavily relied upon during flooding and other emergency situations for evacuation and operational response;
• Understand existing drainage layout and prepare drainage maps, to ensure full understanding of maintenance obligations which will help reduce flood likelihood;
• Possible need to review waste collections, particularly of mixed and / separated organic waste during summer months. Supply of appropriate organic collection containers for segregated organic waste collections;
• Control waste collection points, sited in residential areas, particularly relevant for residents without storage space within their property curtilage;
• Priority should be given to stabilising the soil (in the National Parks) from erosion during intense rainfall, that cause gullying and subsequent erosion of soil, that stores high quantities of carbon;
• Managing rainwater run-off will be of crucial importance, as will water conservation measures such as soil mulching and harvesting rainwater, such methods can be implemented as early as possible;
• Where excess water will need to be managed, to prevent waterlogging, parkland and public gardens should provide water storage areas, where water could be stored underground, that would capture rainfall and drainage from the wetter winters and extreme rainfall events. This would then be used during summer shortages. Drainage and storage could be part of a community wide drainage scheme;
• Careful management of soil to increase rooting depths and moisture-holding properties may also conserve a significant amount of water;
• After periods of intense rainfall, where essential nutrients could be leached from the soil, it will be essential to replace organic matter to maintain soil fertility;
• Conversely, during times of drought and hot weather, it might be necessary to remove the litter layer that could assist fire propagation during tinder dry conditions;
• Herbicide spraying will need to take place earlier in the year to have the greatest effect;
• Introduction of biological pest control to control spread of existing and new pests and weeds;
• Planning of multifunctional accessible greenspace and associated green infrastructure on neighbourhood level, taking full account of future impacts of climate change. This will need to consider species choice, management regimes, and planned understanding of what the greenspace is to deliver, utilising community groups. Local Strategic Partnerships should deliver this together with community groups and local authorities;

Places of Worship

• Places of worship may need to pay particular attention to the need for cooling during the higher summer temperatures due to the large numbers of people in an enclosed space.

 

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Over-arching adaptation measures to public and voluntary assets
The general over-arching adaptation measures for assets set out in the regional adaptation assessment also applies to all sub-sectors in the West Yorkshire sub-region.

Education and Schools

• If the government’s plans for the Leeds City Region Eco-town are implemented, construction of education establishments must be constructed to high standards and planned for the future, such as under the BRE Schools standard;
• In times of flooding and resulting limited access to schools, other schools in the neighbourhood could take in pupils to assist with education needs, which could also help alleviate requirements for alternative care arrangements. This should be set up at school level, as early as possible;
• School uniform and dress codes may need evolving for the hotter summer temperatures – that could include hats and clothing that protect skin whilst ensuring comfort. This should be set up at school level, for the medium to long term;
• LEAs to issue free sun cream for school children (medium to long term), and schools to incorporate outdoor shaded areas for outdoor learning, to maintain a duty of care in situations where greater outdoor learning, comfortable learning conditions and to address level of time spent outdoors, may occur.

Emergency Services

• As priority, there should be increased protection and adaptation to the Police Force Headquarters in Wakefield, Fire and Rescue Headquarters in Birkenshaw, and the air ambulance operating out of Leeds Bradford International Airport, to cope with flooding incidents, higher temperatures and improved ventilation;
• A review of the increased pressure on the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (operating from Leeds Bradford International Airport) during periods of heightened summer temperatures should be undertaken;
• Hotter temperatures during response to moorland / grassland fires will require more staff due to prevention of heat exhaustion and review of equipment limitations. Different shift / working patterns should be explored in the medium term by the local and strategic Fire and Rescue Department;
• Investigate the use of grey water for fire fighting and training, reducing water demands, and vulnerability to water shortages by the strategic service level, and could require government backing for implementation in the short-medium term;
• Greater targeted public education to attempt to limit the incidence of accidental and deliberate fires, by the Fire and Rescue Service in co-ordination with the local authorities;
• In case of high risk of forest, heathland etc. fires in a particular locale, consider the introduction of vegetation breaks within the areas to help prevent spread and/or non-vegetated buffer zones to protect buildings and property.

Military

• Adequate training, co-operation and availability of the Armed Forces in their assistance in extreme events, in particular, partnership with Territorial Army units that are widely located throughout the sub-region, organised through the Local Resilience Forum.

Emergency Planning

• To prevent and limit impact to vulnerable communities, contingency planners should use the index of multiple deprivation maps as ‘red risk’ areas, on which to focus climate change adaptation activity. A number of approaches to adaptation can be taken, such as a personalised adaptation planning, increased education/awareness, or household / community NI 188 assessments. This should occur as early as possible;
• There is a need to integrate NI 188 and climate change adaptation planning with resilience forums to prepare for and adapt to extreme events, such as consideration as to whether capacity is already in place and subsequent capacity building. This should occur at the Regional Resilience Forum level, as early as possible;

Public Assets

• Adaptation measures listed under ‘over-arching’ adaptation measures are relevant here.

Social Housing

• Linked to those measures under the overarching adaptation measures, is the refurbishment of housing stock in relation to energy efficiency, whether related to improvements made to the building fabric (double / triple glazing, wall, roof insulation etc) and technologies (smart metering, condensing boilers as standard etc.), but also to employment of community heat, power and renewables schemes (particularly suited to blocks of flats and housing estates). Refurbishment should also encompass adaptation of flood-prone homes, such as flood gates, hard floors, raised electrics etc.; 
• Climate change adaptation activity and refurbishment could start by using the index of multiple deprivation approach as the ‘red risk’ areas. This would help take forward community scale NI 188 assessments;
• Consider and implement a new funding strategy that is more long-term focussed than five year spending plans, such as revolving funds, that will provide for energy efficiency in homes and community wide renewable energy schemes.

Public and Voluntary Services

• Climate change adaptation needs to become far greater integrated within the community, where people are aware of and understand mitigation and adaptation techniques, this will help people understand what they can, can’t and should be doing with their properties, and help bring about behavioural change. This could be implemented via voluntary organisations through grants from Government Office for Yorkshire and Humber, local authorities etc;
• Ensure suitable levels of repair and maintenance of community facilities – such as village halls, since they are heavily relied upon during flooding and other emergency situations for evacuation and operational response;
• Understand existing drainage layout and prepare drainage maps, to ensure full understanding of maintenance obligations which will help reduce flood likelihood;
• Possible need to review waste collections, particularly of mixed and / separated organic waste during summer months. Supply of appropriate organic collection containers for segregated organic waste collections;
• Control waste collection points, sited in residential areas, particularly relevant for residents without storage space within their property curtilage;
• Managing rainwater run-off will be of crucial importance, as will water conservation measures such as soil mulching and harvesting rainwater, such methods can be implemented as early as possible;
• Where excess water will need to be led away, to prevent waterlogging, parkland and public gardens should provide water storage areas to capture rainfall and drainage from the wetter winters and extreme rainfall events. This would then be used during summer shortages. Drainage and storage could be part of a community wide drainage scheme;
• Careful management of soil to increase rooting depths and moisture-holding properties may also conserve a significant amount of water;
• After periods of intense rainfall, where essential nutrients could be leached from the soil, it will be essential to replace organic matter to maintain soil fertility;
• Conversely, during times of drought and hot weather, it might be necessary to remove the litter layer that could assist fire propagation during tinder dry conditions;
• Herbicide spraying will need to take place earlier in the year to have the greatest effect;
• Introduction of biological pest control to control spread of existing and new pests and weeds;
• Planning of multifunctional accessible greenspace and associated green infrastructure on neighbourhood level, taking full account of future impacts of climate change. This will need to consider species choice, management regimes, and planned understanding of what the greenspace is to deliver, utilising community groups. Local Strategic Partnerships should deliver this together with community groups and local authorities;

Places of Worship

• Places of worship may need to pay particular attention to the need for cooling during the higher summer temperatures due to the large numbers of people in an enclosed space.

 

top

Overarching adaptation measures to public and voluntary assets
The general over-arching adaptation measures for assets set out in the regional adaptation assessment also applies to all sub-sectors in the Humber sub-region.

Education and Schools

• A set-aside maintenance and repair budget for school building roofs and building skin, developed through adapting current budgetary mechanisms, would ease the costs of any damage that is incurred as a result of, for instance, water damage. This should be set up at school level, with assistance from LEAs, as necessary, as early as possible;
• In times of flooding and resulting limited access to schools, other schools in the neighbourhood could take in pupils to assist with education needs, which could also help alleviate requirements for alternative care arrangements. This should be set up at school level, as early as possible;
• School uniform and dress codes may need evolving for the hotter summer temperatures – that could include hats and clothing that protect skin whilst ensuring comfort. This should be set up at school level, for the medium to long term;
• LEAs to issue free sun cream for school children (medium to long term), and schools to incorporate outdoor shaded areas for outdoor learning, to maintain a duty of care in situations where greater outdoor learning, comfortable learning conditions and to address level of time spent outdoors, may occur.

Emergency Services

• As priority, there should be increased protection and adaptation to the four Police Force basic command centres, Fire and Rescue Headquarters in Hessle, and the Sea King Helicopter response at RAF Leconfield, to cope with flooding incidents, higher temperatures and improved ventilation;
• Hotter temperatures during response to moorland / grassland fires will require more staff due to prevention of heat exhaustion and review of equipment limitations. Different shift / working patterns should be explored in the medium term by the local and strategic Fire and Rescue Department;
• Investigate the use of grey water for fire fighting and training, reducing water demands, and vulnerability to water shortages by the strategic service level, and could require government backing for implementation in the short-medium term;
• Greater targeted public education to attempt to limit the incidence of accidental and deliberate fires, by the Fire and Rescue Service in co-ordination with local authorities;
• In case of high risk of forest, heathland etc. fires in a particular locale, consider the introduction of vegetation breaks within the areas to help prevent spread and/or non-vegetated buffer zones to protect buildings and property.

Military

• As a priority, there should be protection and adaptation to cope with flooding incidents, higher temperatures and improved ventilation of RAF Leconfield, that responds to HM Coastguard and Cliff Rescue and the firing practice and ordnance demolition sites at Rolston and Cowdon;
• Adequate training, co-operation and availability of the Armed Forces in their assistance in extreme events, in particular, partnership with Territorial Army units that are widely located throughout the sub-region, organised through the Local Resilience Forum.

Emergency Planning

• To prevent and limit impact to vulnerable communities, contingency planners should use the index of multiple deprivation maps as ‘red risk’ areas, on which to focus climate change adaptation activity. A number of approaches to adaptation can be taken, such as a personalised adaptation planning, increased education/awareness, or household / community NI 188 assessments. This should occur as early as possible;
• There is a need to integrate NI 188 and climate change adaptation planning with resilience forums to prepare for and adapt to extreme events, such as consideration as to whether capacity is already in place and subsequent capacity building. This should occur at the Regional Resilience Forum level, as early as possible;

Public Assets

• Adaptation measures listed under ‘over-arching’ adaptation measures are relevant here.

Social Housing

• Linked to those measures under the overarching adaptation measures, is the refurbishment of housing stock in relation to energy efficiency, whether related to improvements made to the building fabric (double / triple glazing, wall, roof insulation etc) and technologies (smart metering, condensing boilers as standard etc.), but also to employment of community heat, power and renewables schemes (particularly suited to blocks of flats and housing estates). Refurbishment should also encompass adaptation of flood-prone homes, such as flood gates, hard floors, raised electrics etc.; 
• Climate change adaptation activity and refurbishment could start by using the index of multiple deprivation approach as the ‘red risk’ areas. This would help take forward community scale NI 188 assessments;
• Consider and implement a new funding strategy that is more long-term focussed than five year spending plans, such as revolving funds, that will provide for energy efficiency in homes and community wide renewable energy schemes.

Public and Voluntary Services

• Climate change adaptation needs to become far greater integrated within the community, where people are aware of and understand mitigation and adaptation techniques, this will help people understand what they can, can’t and should be doing with their properties, and help bring about behavioural change. This could be implemented via voluntary organisations through grants from Government Office for Yorkshire and Humber, local authorities etc;
• Ensure suitable levels of repair and maintenance of community facilities – such as village halls, since they are heavily relied upon during flooding and other emergency situations for evacuation and operational response;
• Understand existing drainage layout and prepare drainage maps, to ensure full understanding of maintenance obligations which will help reduce flood likelihood;
• Possible need to review waste collections, particularly of mixed and / separated organic waste during summer months. Supply of appropriate organic collection containers for segregated organic waste collections;
• Control waste collection points, sited in residential areas, particularly relevant for residents without storage space within their property curtilage;
• Managing rainwater run-off will be of crucial importance, as will water conservation measures such as soil mulching and harvesting rainwater, such methods can be implemented as early as possible;
• Where excess water will need to be led away, to prevent waterlogging, parkland and public gardens should provide water storage areas, where water could be stored underground, that would capture rainfall and drainage from the wetter winters and extreme rainfall events. This would then be used during summer shortages. Drainage and storage could be part of a community wide drainage scheme;
• Careful management of soil to increase rooting depths and moisture-holding properties may also conserve a significant amount of water;
• After periods of intense rainfall, where essential nutrients could be leached from the soil, it will be essential to replace organic matter to maintain soil fertility;
• Conversely, during times of drought and hot weather, it might be necessary to remove the litter layer that could assist fire propagation during tinder dry conditions;
• Herbicide spraying will need to take place earlier in the year to have the greatest effect;
• Introduction of biological pest control to control spread of existing and new pests and weeds;
• Planning of multifunctional accessible greenspace and associated green infrastructure on neighbourhood level, taking full account of future impacts of climate change. This will need to consider species choice, management regimes, and planned understanding of what the greenspace is to deliver, utilising community groups. Local Strategic Partnerships should deliver this together with community groups and local authorities;

Places of Worship

• Places of worship may need to pay particular attention to the need for cooling during the higher summer temperatures due to the large numbers of people in an enclosed space.

 

top

Over-arching adaptation measures to public and voluntary assets
The general over-arching adaptation measures for assets set out in the regional adaptation assessment also applies to all sub-sectors in the South Yorkshire sub-region.

Education and Schools

• If the Government’s plans for the Rossington Eco-town are implemented, construction of education establishments must be constructed to high standards and planned for the future, such as under the BRE Schools standard;
• In times of flooding and resulting limited access to schools, other schools in the neighbourhood could take in pupils to assist with education needs, which could also help alleviate requirements for alternative care arrangements. This should be set up at school level, as early as possible;
• School uniform and dress codes may need evolving for the hotter summer temperatures – that could include hats and clothing that protect skin whilst ensuring comfort. This should be set up at school level, for the medium to long term;
• LEAs to issue free sun cream for school children (medium to long term), and schools to incorporate outdoor shaded areas for outdoor learning, to maintain a duty of care in situations where greater outdoor learning, comfortable learning conditions and to address level of time spent outdoors, may occur.

Emergency Services

• As priority, there should be increased protection and adaptation to the four Police Force basic command centres, Fire and Rescue Headquarters in Sheffield, and the air ambulance operating out of Sheffield City Heliport, to cope with flooding incidents, higher temperatures and improved ventilation;
• A review of the increased pressure on the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (operating from Sheffield City Heliport) during periods of heightened summer temperatures should be undertaken;
• Hotter temperatures during response to moorland / grassland fires will require more staff due to prevention of heat exhaustion and review of equipment limitations. Different shift / working patterns should be explored in the medium term by the local and strategic Fire and Rescue Department;
• Investigate the use of grey water for fire fighting and training, reducing water demands, and vulnerability to water shortages by the strategic service level, and could require government backing for implementation in the short-medium term;
• Greater targeted public education to attempt to limit the incidence of accidental and deliberate fires, by the Fire and Rescue Service in co-ordination with the local authorities;
• In case of high risk of forest, heathland etc. fires in a particular locale, consider the introduction of vegetation breaks within the areas to help prevent spread and/or non-vegetated buffer zones to protect buildings and property.

Military

• Adequate training, co-operation and availability of the Armed Forces in their assistance in extreme events, in particular, partnership with Territorial Army units that are widely located throughout the sub-region, organised through the Local Resilience Forum.

Emergency Planning

• To prevent and limit impact to vulnerable communities, contingency planners should use the index of multiple deprivation maps as ‘red risk’ areas, on which to focus climate change adaptation activity. A number of approaches to adaptation can be taken, such as a personalised adaptation planning, increased education/awareness, or household / community NI 188 assessments. This should occur as early as possible;
• There is a need to integrate NI 188 and climate change adaptation planning with resilience forums to prepare for and adapt to extreme events, such as consideration as to whether capacity is already in place and subsequent capacity building. This should occur at the Regional Resilience Forum level, as early as possible;

Public Assets

• Adaptation measures listed under ‘over-arching’ adaptation measures are relevant here.

Social Housing

• Linked to those measures under the overarching adaptation measures, is the refurbishment of housing stock in relation to energy efficiency, whether related to improvements made to the building fabric (double / triple glazing, wall, roof insulation etc) and technologies (smart metering, condensing boilers as standard etc.), but also to employment of community heat, power and renewables schemes (particularly suited to blocks of flats and housing estates). Refurbishment should also encompass adaptation of flood-prone homes, such as flood gates, hard floors, raised electrics etc.; 
• Climate change adaptation activity and refurbishment could start by using the index of multiple deprivation approach as the ‘red risk’ areas. This would help take forward community scale NI 188 assessments;
• Consider and implement a new funding strategy that is more long-term focussed than five year spending plans, such as revolving funds, that will provide for energy efficiency in homes and community wide renewable energy schemes.

Public and Voluntary Services

• Climate change adaptation needs to become far greater integrated within the community, where people are aware of and understand mitigation and adaptation techniques, this will help people understand what they can, can’t and should be doing with their properties, and help bring about behavioural change. This could be implemented via voluntary organisations through grants from Government Office for Yorkshire and Humber, local authorities etc;
• Ensure suitable levels of repair and maintenance of community facilities – such as village halls, since they are heavily relied upon during flooding and other emergency situations for evacuation and operational response;
• Understand existing drainage layout and prepare drainage maps, to ensure full understanding of maintenance obligations which will help reduce flood likelihood;
• Possible need to review waste collections, particularly of mixed and / separated organic waste during summer months. Supply of appropriate organic collection containers for segregated organic waste collections;
• Control waste collection points, sited in residential areas, particularly relevant for residents without storage space within their property curtilage;
• Managing rainwater run-off will be of crucial importance, as will water conservation measures such as soil mulching and harvesting rainwater, such methods can be implemented as early as possible;
• Where excess water will need to be led away, to prevent waterlogging, parkland and public gardens should provide water storage areas, where water could be stored underground, that would capture rainfall and drainage from the wetter winters and extreme rainfall events. This would then be used during summer shortages. Drainage and storage could be part of a community wide drainage scheme;
• Careful management of soil to increase rooting depths and moisture-holding properties may also conserve a significant amount of water;
• After periods of intense rainfall, where essential nutrients could be leached from the soil, it will be essential to replace organic matter to maintain soil fertility;
• Conversely, during times of drought and hot weather, it might be necessary to remove the litter layer that could assist fire propagation during tinder dry conditions;
• Herbicide spraying will need to take place earlier in the year to have the greatest effect;
• Introduction of biological pest control to control spread of existing and new pests and weeds;
• Planning of multifunctional accessible greenspace and associated green infrastructure on neighbourhood level, taking full account of future impacts of climate change. This will need to consider species choice, management regimes, and planned understanding of what the greenspace is to deliver, utilising community groups. Local Strategic Partnerships should deliver this together with community groups and local authorities.

Places of Worship

Places of worship may need to pay particular attention to the need for cooling during the higher summer temperatures due to the large numbers of people in an enclosed space.

 

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