People across West Sussex are being asked how the county should respond to longer heatwaves, an increasing risk of flooding and growing pressure on water supplies.
People across West Sussex are being asked how the county should respond to longer heatwaves, an increasing risk of flooding and growing pressure on water supplies.
A countywide consultation has opened on draft plans designed to cut carbon emissions and help communities prepare for the effects of a changing climate.
West Sussex County Council and the county’s district and borough councils have drawn up the proposals through the West Sussex Joint Climate Change Board.
The plans have two main aims.
The first is to reduce the amount of carbon released by transport, homes and businesses.
The second is to make communities, infrastructure and the natural environment more resilient to extreme weather that may now be unavoidable.
Proposed measures include helping to make buildings more energy efficient, supporting greener forms of transport and encouraging community solar-energy projects.
The councils are also considering greater use of sustainable drainage systems to help manage heavy rainfall and reduce the risk of flooding.
Councillor Natasha Davie, chair of the West Sussex Joint Climate Change Board, said residents and businesses were already experiencing the effects of a changing climate.
She said working together could help create better homes, cleaner air, lower energy costs and healthier natural habitats.
Although the councils already have their own environmental commitments, the new plans are intended to create a shared approach to challenges affecting communities across West Sussex.
Responses will be used to decide whether the proposals focus on the right local priorities and where residents believe action is most urgently needed.
The consultation is open to anyone who lives or works in West Sussex and closes on Sunday the 27th of September.
People can respond through the West Sussex County Council website.
Paper copies can also be requested by telephone or completed at a West Sussex library. Printed copies of the draft plans are due to become available at libraries in Chichester, Crawley, Horsham and Worthing.
Airbourne prepares for spectacular final day as major rail disruption affects journeys
LIVE: Latest fire and rail updates across Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex - Updated 13:42 - 16/08/26
Government sends wildfire emergency alert to people across the South
Man jailed for 15 years for the rape of girl under 13 in West Sussex
Rail investigators examine two passenger train derailments near Lewes and Wickford within 24 hours
East Sussex residents urged to heed wildfire warnings as incidents remain high
UPDATE: Fire in Ford
VIDEO: Lewes residents praised for supporting train derailment incident
Child abuser Andrew Evans from Crowborough sentenced to five more years in prison
Costs of temporary housing in Arun District
On Air