Agenda item - Wiltshire Council Climate Change Adaptation Plan

To receive a report from the Corporate Director, Place.

Resolved:

1. To note the council’s approach to climate adaptation using the Risk Management Policy as set out in the Adaptation Delivery Plan (Appendix 1) and Adaptation Reporting Power 4 (ARP4) report (Appendix 2).

2. To endorse the Adaptation Delivery Plan, subject to any comments, to be approved by the Corporate Director for Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Waste and Environment, as per delegated decision.

3. To note the approach set out in the Adaptation Delivery Plan to ensure that climate risk and associated mitigating action is embedded in the council’s business as usual delivery and governance.

Reason for Decision:

To introduce the draft Adaptation Delivery Plan, and to provide an opportunity for Cabinet to comment on the draft, with any necessary adjustments made before final approval.

To bring to the attention of cabinet that vulnerability to climate change is a strategic risk for the council, which means it is recognised as a significant and long-term risk that would impact across the wider council and would significantly impact the council’s ability to achieve its strategic priorities.

To provide awareness of the processes that the council has put in place to manage risk from the impacts of climate change.

Cllr Dominic Muns, Cabinet member for Waste and Environment presented a report which provided a new Adaptation Delivery Plan (previously Climate Change Adaptation Plan) developed using the Council’s Risk Management Policy and reporting requirements for ARP4. The reporting is based on climate change risk assessment and associated action planning, co-developed by participating services and the Climate Team.

Cllr Muns reported that the Adaptation Delivery Plan sets out the actions by the council to ensure functions and services are resilient to the impacts of climate change, including increasing average temperatures and severe weather events. The actions have been developed in response to a risk assessment of the impacts of climate change that are likely to be experienced by Wiltshire Council services in the ‘present to 2030’ timeframe, as well as in the ‘mid-century 2050’ timeframe.

Cabinet noted that the Adaptation Delivery Plan replaces the existing council Climate Change Adaptation Plan from 2016. In developing the Adaptation Delivery Plan the council has undertaken an extensive process of Climate Change Risk Assessment across key service areas. The process for implementation, monitoring and review will be embedded into the existing governance processes for Climate Strategy delivery and risk management. The aim is for deliverables to be incorporated into service-level work planning to ensure they become business-as-usual. Climate risks identified through Climate Change Risk Assessment will be incorporated into the council’s risk management processes and linked to the strategic risk – ‘Increasing vulnerability to climate impacts’.

Cllr Graham Wright, Chairman of the Climate Emergency Task Group reported that the Task Group discussed the Adaptation Plan on the 30 January 2025 following a very preliminary discussion about adaptation planning in February 2024. Cllr Wright reported that during the most recent discussion the Task Group saw a draft of the Cabinet report but not the Plan itself. Without having sight of the actual plan, the Task Group could only ask general questions. These included how the plan was developed; funding for adaptation work, particularly from developers; how the plan will be delivered locally and the role of town and parish councils as well as engagement with key external partners, such as water companies. The Task Group considers this plan to be a key document, along with the Climate Strategy, ensuring the council confronts climate challenges. There needed to be an awareness of the potential impacts and be planning to address them. The Task Group is recommending that adaptation be a focus for the task group in future years.