Climate Impact Group Meeting Minutes 16th June 2020. Download a PDF version here.
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Attendees
Helen Dobby | Environment Agency (Chair)
Alex Rainbow | Cornwall Council
Dave Watkins | Cornwall Council
Ruth Rockley | Cornwall Council
Tanya Saker | Council of the Isles of Scilly
Ellie Rowlands | Devon Climate Emergency
Emily Reed | Devon Climate Emergency
Doug Eltham | Devon County Council
Peter Chamberlain | Devon County Council
Harriet Googe | Environment Agency
James Cooper | Environment Agency
Tom Dauben | Environment Agency
Wendy Harding | Environment Agency
Elliott Batty | Local Resilience Forum Secretariat
Penny Tranter | Met Office
Richard Merrifield | Public Health Devon
Laurence Couldrick | West Country Rivers Trust
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Apologies
Mark Holmes | Cornwall Council
Lindy Woodage | Devon and Cornwall Police
Tom Cunningham | Devon and Cornwall Police
Amanda Palmer | Devon County Council
Dom Maxwell-Batten | Devon County Council
Lesley Newport | Environment Agency
Neil Hamlyn | Local Resilience Forum Manager
Jenny Shellens | Ministry of Housing, Communities
Neil Vine | NHS
Sara Gibbs | Public Health Devon
Nick Young | Public Health England
Robert Scarrott | South West Water
Sarah Swainbank | South West Water
Rebecca Mitchell | University of Exeter
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1. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
Minutes ACCEPTED as a true record
Helen highlighted the opportunity for narratives which are being developed for the Climate Impacts Group to also feed into Covid recovery plans.
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2. Current Activity Update – Initial Review of Climate Risks
A) Status of the climate change projections document
Penny Tranter reported that she had received suggestions from Dave Watkins, in response to the second draft of the Met Office regional climate change projections. Penny is investigating several points further, such as local sea level rise and hopes to complete by mid-July.
ACTION Penny to complete updates to draft two of the Met Office regional climate change projections.
ACTION Helen to connect Penny with her colleague at the Environment Agency who is conducting a review of coastal risks.
Tanya Saker sought clarification that the Isles of Scilly had been included in the drafting of the narratives to date. Penny assured Tanya that it had been covered by the MET Office narratives on climate change projections. Helen assured Tanya that it was the intention that narratives would cover Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as well as Devon.
Doug Eltham expressed that he is keen to share the MET Office document with the public as soon as it is possible to do so, in the interest of updating the public on the work of the Climate Impacts Group.
ACTION Elliot Batty to check with the Local Resilience Forum that the information referring to the Community Risk Register in the MET Office narrative can be shared at this point.
B) Chapter template
As Lindy was unable to attend the meeting, Laurence Couldrick from the Westcountry Rivers Trust introduced the structure they had taken to produce the Natural Environment Narrative, on behalf of the Devon Local Nature Partnership.
It was DECIDED that a template was no longer needed as the draft produced by the Westcountry Rivers Trust, on behalf of the Devon Local Nature Partnership provides an example structure which can be adapted to other narratives. The outline of this structure is: (i) Local context of the issue, (ii) climate change impacts on the issue, (iii) actions for mitigation, (iv) adaptation and resilience and (v) opportunities.
ACTION Draft Natural Environment narrative to be circulated as an example to inform the structure of other narratives being produced.
C) Narrative on flood risk
Tom Dauben introduced the initial draft flood risk narrative, covering the present situation, future scenarios, challenges and future approaches to adaptation and risk management. Tom highlighted that the coverage of impacts outside of flood zones was key and often underappreciated, e.g. part of a rail line floods, however the whole line is impacted.
Peter requested that Tom cover the local delivery of flood plans in the narrative.
ACTION Tom to update the map to include the Isles of Scilly and will include a summary of existing local flood strategy that has considered climate change, local delivery and local priorities. e.g. Local Outcome Plan.
ACTION Final Adaptation Plan to have an appendix signposting additional relevant documents.
Dave Watkins highlighted that the MET Office narrative underestimated the properties impacted and that he has raised this with Penny for amendment.
ACTION Tom, Helen and Dave to speak further to ensure the impacts outlined in the flood narrative are correct.
Laurence highlighted the need for the Devon Adaptation Plan to take a wider systems view of the situation and the need to create resilient communities and nature.
D) Health narrative
Nick Young and Sara Gibbs were unable to attend, however Richard Merrifield commented that he expected Nick to draw on the Planetary and Human Health report recently published by Public Health Devon.
ACTION Emily to speak with Nick about the progress of the Health Narrative
E) Natural environment narrative
Peter Chamberlain is keen to get input from a range of relevant experts before finalizing the draft. Peter highlighted that whilst the narrative is currently focused on Devon, he feels it is equally relevant and useful to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, as there are many shared challenges for the peninsula.
Laurence is keen to ensure it covers Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in enough detail and will consider where budget for this can be found.
ACTION Laurence and Tanya to speak further about how best to pursue extending the Natural Environment narrative to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
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3. Timetable to produce an Adaptation Plan – feedback and comments
Emily reported that the only amendment requested so far was to accommodate the delay in Beccy Mitchell being able to start her narrative, which is dependent upon the other narratives being drafted.
ACTION Emily to amend the GANT chart to reflect conversation with Beccy Mitchell.
Harriet Googe raised the need to add public consultation and embedding the plan into practice and Devon to the project timeline. Doug responded that he anticipated the process of identifying stakeholders would allow for consultation and the embedding of the plan.
ACTION Emily to ensure the GANT chart documents the need for consultation and embedding the plan in organisations and Devon more widely.
Emily reported that the only amendment requested so far was to accommodate the delay in Beccy Mitchell being able to start her narrative, which is dependent upon the other narratives being drafted.
ACTION Emily to amend the GANT chart to reflect conversation with Beccy Mitchell.
Harriet Googe raised the need to add public consultation and embedding the plan into practice and Devon to the project timeline. Doug responded that he anticipated the process of identifying stakeholders would allow for consultation and the embedding of the plan.
ACTION Emily to ensure the GANT chart documents the need for consultation and embedding the plan in organisations and Devon more widely.
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4. AOB
The suggested use of the draft Natural Environment Narrative as an example structure for the other narratives was reiterated.
Tanya raised concerns that there wasn’t much time to develop a natural environment narrative for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly before mid-July when we hope to collate the narratives into a document. However, it was AGREED that it would be indicated in the document that further work was intended to flesh out the impacts for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
ACTION Emily to check Nick understands that the health narrative needs to be for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
ACTION Ensure the new attendees to the group have the future dates of meetings.
