Council calls for companies and organisations to offer cool spaces

B&NES Council is calling on organisations and companies across the local area that can provide a cool indoor space for residents to rest on hot days to register in a new directory.

Locations that people can shelter from the sun are being included in the Indoor Cool Spaces Directory.

The directory, launched by the local authority, lists designated indoor places with cool rooms or shaded areas, good airflow, seating, toilets and drinking water where people who need them can go for respite from hot weather.

Organisations which could provide this type of facility, or those which already do and have not yet formally signed up, are encouraged to register on the Livewell Bathnes Cool Spaces page. Private homes are not eligible to register.

The council has also launched a new Outdoor Spaces Map of outdoor green spaces across B&NES, which offer places to stop and rest in the heat, including those with seating, toilets and cafes to help everyone stay comfortable and safe. Some of these also offer shade.

The directory and map have been coordinated by Bath & North East Somerset Council and its partners to help residents during current and future hot summers.

Each Indoor Cool Space provider agrees to the Cool Spaces Charter, which guarantees visitors respect, dignity and a warm welcome.

Councillor Alison Born, cabinet member for adult services including public health, said: “With our summers getting hotter, it’s important that residents who are unable to keep cool within their own homes have somewhere they can go to take refuge from the sun.

“To plan ahead for future spells of hot weather, we’re looking for more local organisations to come forward to register their Indoor Cool Space on the new directory and help reduce health risks for people in your community.

“If you could offer somewhere to shelter from the heat, take a rest in a safe place and hydrate, we want to hear from you.

“The new Outdoor Spaces Map is also a useful resource for people when they’re out and about in hot weather, helping them to find places to sit down and get a much-needed cold drink.”

The Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board is running a Summer Holidays campaign encouraging parents to take simple steps to keep their children healthy over the summer.