SNOW in spring, hurricane force gales - even hot weather in early March.

Climate change is happening in Warrington and this week, we look at what is being done to tackle the issue.

DOCUMENTS

A NEW framework has been produced to look at what impact severe weather has in Warrington.

Clr Linda Dirir, executive board member for climate change at Warrington Borough Council, said: “In August 2013, we signed climate local which committed us to set locally-owned and determined commitments and actions to reduce carbon emissions and to manage climate impacts.

“This framework is our commitment to managing climate impacts.

“For the council, it means making sure that we can continue to deliver our services during extreme weather events and that our infrastructure like parks and roads, are suitable for long term changes in weather.

“The framework looks into how we can help businesses and the rest of our community to be prepared for such events and become more resilient to ensure that there is minimal disruption.”

Copies and guides for businesses are available at warrington.gov.uk/info/200561/climate_change and you can call the team on 442630 for more information.

Meanwhile the council is currently asking for people to get involved in a consultation on its flood risk strategy which runs until the end of March. Have your say at warrington.gov.uk/floodrisk.

GUIDE

A GUIDE to help businesses prepare for extreme weather is now available.

Warrington Borough Council has teamed up with neighbouring authorities in Cheshire to produce Weathering the Storm.

it looks at how businesses in the borough can become more resilient to extreme weather events, offering advice on how to maintain business continuity.

Clr Dirir said: “We hope that businesses find this guide useful and helps them prepare for the impacts of extreme weather and also offers advice about how to recover quickly if you are affected.

“Such events have the potential to affect our everyday lives and it is important that we all take responsibility and do everything we can to be prepared.”

Included are cases studies from businesses who have been hit by extreme weather, how they dealt with it and also useful advice on how to respond to the variety of weather.

Get the guide from claspinfo.org/SMEadapt

EMERGENCY PLANS

WHEN emergencies do happen, there is a team of council officers ready to help.

Theresa Whitfield is risk and resilience manager for the council and manages the team responsible for making sure thos emergency plans and response arrangements are ready.

She said “We can rely on the resources of teams council wide to provide a seamless, co-ordinated response with our partners, the ultimate aim is to minimise the disruption to the council’s business and the services we provide to our community”

Emergencies can be anything from a serious fire or gas leak, widespread flooding, evacuation or a public health emergency.

Plans are testing regularly to make sure they are set for the real thing.

And that happened in late November when homes around Chester Road were evacuated over worries about a possible explosion at a nearby petrol station Some reisdents were moved to a hotel and it was council officers who were sent out to help.

There is more information on the council website, or e-mail emergencyplanning@warrington.gov.uk with questions.

DECLARATION

MARCH will see the singing of The Warrington declaration.

The agreement, which covers the whole of the town, accepts climate change is happening and council bosses say it shows a commitment to making a change.

Clr Dirir, who came up with the idea, said: “Climate change affects everyone and we can all play our part.

“Local authority, business and community leadership, and individual action will be essential to success.

“We will make better progress if we work together. By having a Warrington declaration it is a way of bringing together the different organisations in our area.”

TASK GROUP

THE council event has an extreme weather task group - charged with responding to emergency situations.

Be it flooding, heatwave, ice or snow the group of councillors and officers meet to look at the impact of severe weather and what can be done to improve the response.