Somerset Wildlife Trust is pleased to announce the launch of a new ‘Climate Adaptation Plan’ for Glastonbury, the first in a new series of toolkits to help communities across Somerset prepare for and adapt to the UK’s changing climate.
With climate and nature emergencies being declared across the country, and the new UK Government recognising in their 2024 manifesto that these crises will be the greatest long-term global challenges, Somerset Wildlife Trust has been encouraging people across Somerset to prioritise climate adaptation — a process that involves preparing for the future effects of climate change, which may include extreme weather events such as flooding, heatwaves, and drought.
The Trust has been piloting a new process called ‘Act to Adapt’ to help communities across Somerset better understand climate adaptation and the changes they can make to prepare for the climate extremes facing the county. Since October 2023, the charity has been working with Glastonbury Town Council, with funding from the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA), to complete the first new climate adaptation plan for Somerset, which has been created for Glastonbury through collaboration with local residents, business owners, and other organisations.
The final plan identifies four key themes and priority adaptation actions, chosen by Glastonbury residents, with comprehensive advice on how these changes can be implemented. The key themes identified in the plan are:
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Planting more trees and plants
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Adapting to flooding
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Installing green walls and roofs
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Engaging with local planning
Natalie Barnett, Climate Adaptation Officer at Somerset Wildlife Trust, said: “Due to its long coast and large areas of low-lying land, Somerset is unfortunately one of the UK’s most climate-vulnerable areas, and it’s facing risks including sea-level rise, river flooding, and drought. Working with communities across Somerset through the Act to Adapt process has allowed us to explain what these risks might actually mean for people and businesses, and how their day-to-day lives might be affected. Climate change stirs deep emotions, but we can’t shy away from this crucial conversation. Facing the reality of extreme weather and its impacts on our communities is essential. By normalising discussions about climate concerns, climate adaptation and encouraging action, we’re taking a vital step forward.
“This process has been all about working with communities — we’ve built plans around local concerns and ideas, which naturally leads to stronger communities, increased biodiversity, and improved wellbeing. It has been such a pleasure to have been involved in this project so far, and we’re absolutely delighted to be able to launch this Climate Adaptation Plan for Glastonbury!”
Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) Chair Councillor Mike Stanton added: “Across Somerset floods have been increasing in intensity and unpredictability because of climate change. Hence why one of the new objectives in the SRA Strategy 2024-34 is to ‘increase the resilience of people, places and the environment to flooding, while adapting to climate change’. So the SRA has been helping people in Glastonbury to work together on local ideas for achieving that objective with this new Climate Adaptation Plan. It’s a fascinating piece of work. It covers many parts of the town, right down to individual ponds, bus shelters and toilet blocks. If you’ve been not involved so far, please do get involved now!”
Somerset Wildlife Trust and Glastonbury Town Council will be unveiling the final version of Glastonbury’s Climate Adaptation Plan at an in-person event on the 24th August, where Glastonbury residents are invited to see the plan, ask any questions they may have, and share tips and advice to start implementing key changes for the town. This event will be held at St John’s Church between 4:30pm – 7:00pm. Next year, the Trust will also be organising an ‘Adaptation Blitz’, where local people will be involved to come together to implement as many of the plan’s actions as possible.
The Act to Adapt process is also currently being delivered in the following communities, with plans to expand further across Somerset in the future:
- Burnham-on-Sea & Highbridge
- Minehead
- The Polden Hills
- Wells
- Spaxton
- Martock
You can download a copy of the final Climate Adaptation Plan for Glastonbury and learn more about Act to Adapt by visiting www.somersetwildlife.org/act-to-adapt