Policies could see shops required to have awnings to tackle heat

Council policies could require shops to sport awnings, like in years gone by, to make the extreme heat brought on by climate change more bearable.

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It was one idea raised by the former chair of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning committee, Duncan Hounsell (Saltford, Liberal Democrat), as councillors debated how to adapt to emergencies brought on by climate change.

At least three councillors relied on fanning themselves to stay cool through the council meeting on the hot evening of 16th July.

Councillor David Biddleston (Keynsham South, Labour) tabled a motion calling for the council to work on improving resilience to the risks which come with the changing climate. Councillors backed it unanimously.

He said: “We are experiencing another significant UK heatwave and this year has already seen three separate heatwaves.

“The Met Office has warned that what were once considered exceptional weather events are becoming increasingly common, while scientists estimate that around 2,700 people have died during the recent periods of extreme heat in the UK.”

Council cabinet member Manda Rigby (Bathwick, Liberal Democrat) said: “Whilst we may think the weather is extreme now, this is the least extreme it will be in our lifetime.”

She said the council had frameworks in place for extreme heat and cold and would work to include councillors more.

Councillor Hounsell said that adaptations to extreme heat did not necessarily have to be complicated or expensive.

He said: “When I was a boy, a long long time ago, brought up in Ashton Gate and Bedminster, all the shops had awnings. They were a way of identification and shops were quite proud of them — but awnings provide shade.

“In the last few weeks Keynsham High Street has been unbearable with the heat. There has been no respite. It is just very exposed and the sun bearing down.

“If shop owners [and] owners of public buildings invested not a great amount in awnings, if our planning policies encouraged awnings, the shade could reduce the temperature by several degrees instantly.”

Bath & North East Somerset Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and has previously used planning policies to tackle climate change.

Its net zero standards for house builders mean its homes are built to the highest energy efficiency standards in the country, although government reforms mean it could have to water down these rules.

John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter