Are April Showers Extinct?

This April, Sutton saw around half the average rainfall for our area. It was the sunniest and third warmest April since records began. Wonderfully pleasant but at the same time a big concern. The dry spell means rock hard ground so when it does rain there is the real risk of flash flooding similar to that in 2021. Our paved landscape can struggle to cope with increasingly intense rains. In July 2022 temperatures in Sutton reached 40 degrees. That was hot and unpleasant.  

In Sutton, we have many care homes often in older buildings. What needs to be put in place to keep vulnerable residents safe when temperatures soar? How do we make sure that flood defences will limit the impact of flash flooding?

We must think about how we adapt our environment to the harmful effects of climate change. A few fans to cool down elderly care home residents isn't going to hack it anymore. All of us need to think seriously about what needs to be done so we can live safe lives in what may be an unwelcoming climate.

Reaching net zero is more important than ever. Your Council is actively addressing climate change and extreme weather through various initiatives. Our strategy includes building the borough's first Passivhaus standard new council homes and schools, as well as the retrofitting of council homes to make them more energy-efficient, installing solar panels on councils buildings, encouraging energy saving in homes, and investing in renewable energy sources.

This week, I attended a roundtable discussion at the House of Lords. Hosted alongside the Climate Minister, I made clear that Sutton took climate change seriously and that it was important to have consistent support from central government and access to funding, both public and private, in order for local authorities like Sutton to deliver action on climate change.

Last Sunday I joined Sutton Climate Friends for their Wave of Change workshop. The Friends are local people who are determined to engage and inform residents about climate change and what individuals can do. You may have also seen me on the Fairtrade stall at Wallington Farmers’ Market recently. Fairtrade is about making ethical choices that help our planet as the impact of climate change is global as well as local.

These are just some of the ways we're working hard on many different levels to tackle climate change. By working together, the Council, local groups and you, we can create a greener, healthier, and more resilient Sutton for everyone.