Portsmouth could establish a “cool space network” and introduce “reflective roofs” and window film as the council prepares for future heatwaves.
Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet member for climate change has received an update on plans to address the impact of rising temperatures across the city.
Felicity Harris, strategic lead for climate resilience and the natural environment, stressed the need for a heat adaptation pathway “based on evidence that delivers the greatest impact” for “those most vulnerable”.
She called for a “strategic tactical and operational response” following the summer of 2026, which saw nearby Gosport record its hottest June day on record at 36.1C.
She added that “there is some debate or forecast that next year maybe hotter than next year”.
The report notes that heatwaves and hotter summer temperatures “impact all aspects of society” by widening health disparities, changing economic patterns and creating “cascading and compounding risks”.
These include “the loss of cooling as green infrastructure suffers drought; the increase in domestic violence; reduced high street spending; lower demand for business premises in city and changes in visitor patterns”.
The report said tackling heat would require more than physical investment, with adaptive measures and new ways of working becoming part of “business as usual”.
Proposed measures include reflective roofs, a resilient treescape, ensuring foodbanks and critical services can operate during heatwaves, using window film and considering where more vulnerable residents are housed.
It adds that the council will work to “ensure an enhanced response to potential heatwaves in 2027, for example, the establishment of a cool space network”.
Councillor Kimberly Barrett, cabinet member for climate change, said: “People know how hot it got this summer and they’re starting to realise it probably is going to get hotter and colder during the winter months.
“Climate adaption and preparedness is really important – rainfall will be more intense, flooding – there’s so much we have to consider.”
She recalled visiting a school recently where staff reported “all sorts of issues with the heat, fatigue with teachers and students not being able to learn”.
She said there were “so many factors people don’t realise”, including increases in domestic violence, which she described as “really worrying”.
Planned action includes establishing a small heat task force to coordinate the council’s response to climate change, review powers and policy gaps, engage stakeholders and prepare for future heatwaves, potentially through a cool space network.
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