Long-term plans to respond to floods, storms and heatwaves are needed, MPs have warned in a new report.
Government has identified that a ‘whole of society’ approach is required to develop resilience to the national risks the UK faces, according to the cross-party parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
However, the PAC finds that respective roles in this area, at all levels of government, as well as private and voluntary sectors and the public, have not been clarified – leading to uncertainty about what actions to take.
For example, public awareness of the risk of surface water flooding is low and it is not always clear who to contact to report incidents when they happen.
The PAC says local organisations have a critical role in developing the UK’s resilience, for example by preparing emergency plans for different scenarios or specific events like flooding. But central government does not check local plans to see if they are fit for purpose, and does not know if local organisations have the capacity and capability to fulfil their functions effectively.
Cllr Darren Rodwell, Chair of the LGA’s Local Infrastructure and Net Zero Board, said: “LGA polling found that just 5 per cent of the public feel prepared for the impacts of climate change, following recent years of excess heat, flooding and storms.
“It also found that the public trust their council the most to lead the effort to prepare villages, towns and cities for the climate impacts.
“This is because councils are rooted in communities and understand places: we must be given the tools and funding needed to make that happen.”