This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Climate change adaptation strategy'.


 
 

 
 
ECC Adaptation Action Plan 
Contents 
 
Title Page 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
1. Introduction............................................................................................. 3 
 
2. Summary of Essex ................................................................................. 3 
 
3. ECC Adaptation Action Plan................................................................... 4 
3.1 Action Plan Assessment ................................................................... 4 
 
4.  Monitoring and review of actions ............................................................ 4 
 
5. Conclusion.............................................................................................. 5 
 
6. References ............................................................................................. 5 
 
7. Appendix 1: Headline Priority climate risks and actions for ECC..............
 
 
 
2

 
 
ECC Adaptation Action Plan 
1. Introduction 
 
In recent years, our climate and weather patterns have changed significantly, 
becoming much less predictable.1  
 
With the scale of change in our weather systems it is now paramount to focus 
our efforts on adapting our behaviour and planning for the possibility of severe 
weather events and the likely impact on the health and quality of life of our 
people and potential damage to our economy and natural environment. 2 
 
By planning and preparing for severe weather we hope to build resilience in to 
our organisation services, reducing the potential damage and cost as a result 
of the unpredictability of our climate. 
 
This action plan highlights the types of severe climatic events we could face in 
the future and the impact these could have on services. It provides each type 
of event a risk score (based on impact x likelihood)3 and sets out measures 
that Essex County Council can take both now and over the next ten years to 
adapt and build resilience to these types of event.  Most adaptation measures 
will not require major investment but will be about changing our systems and 
behaviours to ones more appropriate for a changing climate. 
 
2. Summary of Essex 
 
Essex is one of the largest counties in the UK, covering approximately 
337,000 hectares and recorded a population of 1.712 million 4 in 2008.   The 
county is subject to significant development pressures and agriculture covers 
more than half of the counties low-lying land.  Essex has important transport 
links, extensive networks of roads and inland waterways and 350 miles of 
coastline, with ecological important areas and numerous coastal 
communities.5  The low-lying land and geographical location on the Thames 
Estuary makes Essex vulnerable to various natural hazards, such as flooding 
and drought. 6 7 
 
In general, Essex can expect warmer, wetter winters, hotter, drier summers 
and a rise in sea levels by 2080.  Weather is likely to become more variable 
and extreme events could be more frequent, increasing the risk to Essex from 
events such as droughts, extreme cold conditions and floods.8.   These 
projections for Essex are based on the 2009 scenarios produced by the UK 
Climate Impacts Programme, funded by Defra.  
 
In 2010, a Local Climate Impact Profile (LCLIP) study highlighted the number 
of weather related incidents occurring in Essex.  More than 160 severe 
weather related incidents affected Local Authority services, business and 
communities between January 2004 to December 2009. These incidents 
consisted of road and rail disruptions and damages, the disruption and 
demand on public sector services, damage to buildings from falling trees and 
flooding, power cuts, risk to the environment and health concerns in 
vulnerable people.9 
 
The Essex LCLIP and comprehensive risk based assessment enables Essex 
County Council (ECC) to assess the impacts of recent and projected weather 
events on its services, and communities.1011 This encourages informed 
adaptation decisions and has led to the development of ECC’s adaptation 
action plan.  
 
 
3

 
 
ECC Adaptation Action Plan 
3. ECC Adaptation Action Plan 
 
3.1 Action Plan Assessment 
Each directorate12 identified a number of actions addressing climate related 
risks, which either:  
•  contributed to building their capacity to adapt by gathering and sharing 
information, developing appropriate policies, plans and strategies and/or, 
  
•  minimises and takes advantage of the consequences of climatic change 
through delivering adaptation actions to build resilience.13  
 
There are several viable adaptive measures that result in effective adaptation 
and these were assessed and ranked as one of the following options:   
•  Cost effective measures, delivering benefits that exceed the costs. 
•  Low cost measures, low costs with potentially large benefits. 
•  Cross-cutting benefit measures contribute to adaptation and also 
deliver other benefits. 
•  Adaptable management measures are useful for dealing with longer- 
term uncertainties. 
•  Managed approach, where climate risks are out weighted by non-
climate factors.14  
 
The following timescales have also been identified for each adaptation 
measure: 
•  Act Now - Aim to have implementation from now to 5 years.        
•  Monitor - monitor the situation and review or implement actions as 
required.                                                  
•  Plan Ahead - Longer-term planning for implementation within 10+ years. 
 
The headline actions identified within this plan are  summarised below and 
detailed in appendix 1:  
•  As the Lead Local Flood Authority for Essex on flood and water 
management an action plan has been developed and is being 
implemented in line with the Flood and Water Management Act (2010). 
•  Highways Management adhere to the winter maintenance plan when the 
snow, ice and frost cause a disruption to Essex transport infrastructure. 
•  All directorates maintain and exercise their business continuity plans and 
allow flexible working where appropriate. 
•  ECC will ensure alternative waste disposal options are available to 
mitigate individual waste treatment or disposal site closures triggered by 
high winds. 
•  Vulnerable clients cared for by ECC who are at risk from prolonged hot 
summers and cold weather are identified, such as older people and 
young children with a disability and underlying health problems.   
 
4. Monitoring and Review of Actions 
 
Implementation has begun on a number of actions within the action plan. 
However certain actions addressing future climatic events will not be 
implemented immediately and will require those associated climate related 
risks to be monitored before any actions are implemented.  The action plan 
covers the next 10 years and will also require monitoring with the risks and 
actions being reviewed annually.   Annual progress reporting on the 
adaptation action plan will incorporate progress reporting against all 
directorate actions. 
 
4

 
 
ECC Adaptation Action Plan 
 
The plan will be updated on an ongoing basis to reflect growing evidence of 
risks and impacts and improving understanding of the needs of each 
directorate.    It is important that each directorate takes responsibility for and 
continually reviews their actions.  This may in turn enable a revision of the 
risks and actions in line with the climatic and weather changes and ensures 
the actions remain relevant to ECC services.   
 
5. Conclusion 
 
The action plan is intended to be a ‘living document’ and adaptable, in order 
for actions to be amended as our knowledge and understanding of climatic 
and weather changes grows.   The priorities for continuous development on 
adaptation should reflect the following: 
•  Continue to understand ECC risk threshold. 
•  Focus on actions that manage and address risks associated with current 
climate variability and extremes as a starting point. 
•  Balance the Management of climate and non climate risks. 
•  Ensure climate risk management is integrated into ECC decision making, 
policies and planning, especially in areas responsible for long term 
assets. (Such as council buildings, built environment).  
•  Avoid actions that stop or limit future adaptation. 
•  Review the continued effectiveness of adaptation decisions in light of any 
climatic and organisational changes. 
•  Work in partnership with key stakeholders (internally and externally).15 
 
Adaptation is the only way to cope with the inevitable impacts from a changing 
climate and severe weather events over the next few decades and without 
early and strong mitigation, the cost of adaptation will rise sharply.16   
Mitigation and adaptation are two critical issues ECC must address to help 
ECC services, Essex’s communities and businesses manage climate change 
and build resilience.  Implementation of the adaptation action plan will help 
tackle these issues at the local level. 
 
6. References: 

UKCIP website: www.ukcip.org.uk & Met Office website: 
www.metoffice.gov.uk  
2 & 5 HR Wallingford, Climate Change in Essex –The Evidence base and priorities 
for a county-wide action plan Part 1 – Project Report, Report no EX 5210, 2005 
3 Based on JCAD Risk Management Score system 
4 Office for National Statistics, Sub-national population projections, 2008 
6 Essex Community Risk Register, 2008 
7 & 9 Calder, A. Essex LCLIP, University of Essex & ECC, 2010  
8 UKCIP, © UK Climate Projections 2009  
10 UKCIP, A Local Climate Impacts Profile: How to do a LCLIP, UKCIP, Oxford, 
2009 
11 Essex County Council Climate Change Risk Assessment, 2010 
12 In light of organisational changes and directorate restructuring the climate 
risks will be reviewed and incorporated into any new directorate structure. 
13 & 15 UKCIP, Identifying Adaptation Options, Defra, 2006 
14 Rising to the challenge–The City of London Corporation’s Climate 
Adaptation Strategy, January 2007. 
16 The Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change, 2006 
 
5

link to page 6  
 
ECC Adaptation Action Plan 
 
7. Appendix 1: Headline priority climate risks and actions for Essex County Council. 
 

Climate 
Risk to Service 
Risk 
Adaptation Response 
Adaptation 
Timescale  
Lead 
Monitoring/ 

Delivery 
Score (1-
measures 
Responsible  
Review 
Building Adaptive Capacity 
Delivering Adaptation 
Weather 
2 Low, 3-5 
options rank 
process 
Medium, 6-8 
Actions 
event 
High, 9- 16 
Very High)  1
 
Responsibility as a 
Action plan developed and 
Carry out flood risk and 
Cost 
Act Now 
Strategic 
 
Lead Local Flood 
requires a local flood risk 
management work 
Effective         
Development 
Authority for Essex on 
management strategy; 
concerning surface runoff 
(ESH) 
flood and water 
establish partnership working,  and ground water.  
management.  
16 
completion of preliminary flood 
risk assessment and a record 
of drainage assets. 
Update Highways 
  
Low Cost         Act Now 
Highways 
  
 
Maintenance Strategy in line 
Management 

with current needs & statutory 
(ESH) 
requirements 
Revise public transport routes  Action plan will focus on 
Adaptable 
Initial report 
Passenger 
Annual 
to develop a process for 
transport service changes 
Management   end 2011/12,  Transport 
update from 
emergency and /or longer 
and journeys with transport 
Action plan 
Strategy (ESH) 
2013 

term planning to avoid key 
companies; identify key 
implemented 
sites where problems may 
areas to be affected and 
mid 2013 
occur  
type of measures.  
Risk to delivery care 
Follow business continuity 
Business Continuity Plans 
Cross-
Act Now 
Business 
Yearly 
provisions and support 
plans, Flu plans and 
reviewed, updated and 
Cutting 
Continuity 
review.   
to vulnerable people 
redeployment plans as 
tested regularly.  
Benefits          
Champion 
and hard to reach 
required. 
/ Cost 
(AHCW & SCF) 
Flooding & Coastal Flooding
groups isolated by 
Effective         

floods and during 
Flood watch risks monitored by  Flood watch risks and 
Cost 
Monitor Emergency    
severe weather. 
Emergency Planning. Flood 
alerts monitored and 
Effective         
Planning and 
  
watch risks available for public  cascaded 
AHCW Business 
from DEFRA. 
Continuity 
   
Maintain communication 
Low Cost         Act Now 
Business 
Providers 
cascades with Providers. 
Continuity 
mapped. 
12 
Map of Providers locations. 
Champion. 
Communica 
(AHCW) 
tions tested. 
                                            
1 The risk score is based on ECC JCAD risk score (impact x likelihood) 
 
6

 
 
ECC Adaptation Action Plan 
Climate 
Risk to Service 
Risk 
Building Adaptive Capacity 
Delivering Adaptation 
Adaptation 
Timescale  
Lead 
Monitoring/ 

Delivery 
Score  
Actions 
measures 
Responsible  
Review 
Weather 
options rank 
process 
event 
Risk to people and 
Include risk in Business 
Ensure that Business 
Low Cost         Act Now 
Business 
Yearly 
properties from flooding. 
Continuity Plans 
Continuity Plans cover 
Continuity 
review.   

Potential requirement to 
information provision to all of 
Champion (SCF, 
temporarily relocate 
School service areas. 
ESH, AHCW) 
council services (for 
Identify building issues which 
Roll out text alert system 
Cost 
Act Now 
 SCF 
Respond as 
 
example schools). 
prevent opening or are likely 
across Adult Health and 
Effective         
and when 
to prolong closure. 
School services to enable 
required.  

Communicate information to 
front line staff and providers 
Review after 
Area Managers in order to 
to plan their journeys.  Use 
event. 
support schools where 
teletext to provide public with 
necessary. 
service update and contacts.
As the Lead Local Flood 
Investigate major flood 
  
Low Cost         Act Now 
Strategic 
  
Authority for Essex the 
incidents across Essex and 
Development 
council’s reputation 
ensure the correct authority is 
(ESH) 
maybe at risk if it is 
identified. 
perceived not to have 
16 
Develop a Local Flood Risk 
Agree affordable and 
Cost 
Act Now 
Strategic 
  
met its responsibilities 
Management Strategy for 
effective actions in sites of 
Effective         
Development 
concerning flood 
Essex which will link in with 
high risk 
(ESH) 
management. Flooding 
Flooding & Coastal Flooding
the flood communication 
will impact on insurance 
strategy.  
costs for council 
Testing of emergency/ 
  
Low Cost         Act Now 
Risk Management    
buildings and locally for 
disaster recovery plans and 
Consultancy 
businesses and 

business continuity plans.   
Services (Finance)
residents.  
Disruption to transport 
Implement Winter Maintenance    
Cost 
Act Now 
Highways 
  
network due to icy and 

Plan by reviewing previous 
Effective         
Management 
snowy conditions 
seasons to plan for next season,
(ESH) 
 
leading to increased risk 
secure adequate salt supplies,  Provide timely and adequate  Low Cost         Monitor 
Passenger 
  
of collisions and road 
initiate emergency salting 
transport information for the 
Transport Strategy
closure preventing 
network to keep key areas 
public.  
(ESH) 

public to travel to work 
moving and raise public 
or access vulnerable 
awareness of winter driving 
people etc. A demand 
on salt provisions to 
Frequent testing of Business 
Update Business Continuity  Cost 
Act Now 
Vulnerable 
 
expand salting routes. 
Continuity Plans 
Plans to include key agency  Effective         
Children Service 
Snow, Ice & Frost

contacts to respond where 
Development 
ECC services are unable to 
(SCF) 
within required timescales. 
 
7

 
 
ECC Adaptation Action Plan 
Climate 
Risk to Service 
Risk 
Building Adaptive Capacity 
Delivering Adaptation 
Adaptation 
Timescale  
Lead 
Monitoring/ 

Delivery 
Score  
Actions 
measures 
Responsible  
Review 
Weather 
options 
process 
event 
rank               
Snow and flooding will 
Work with contractors on 
  
Cost 
Act Now 
Waste 
  
prevent collection of 
winter operation plan to review 
Effective         
Operations & 
recycling and opening 
previous seasons to plan for 
Contracts team 
of civic centres which 
next season, secure adequate 
(ESH) 
will potentially lead to 
salt supplies and update the 

waste stockpiling 
public on service  
  
Ensure alternative disposal 
Cross-
  
options are available to 
Cutting 
mitigate individual site 
Benefits          
closure 
School closure due to 
Update and test Business 
Ensure that Business 
Cost 
Act Now 
School 
Annually 
staff shortages, child 
Continuity Plans. 
Continuity Plans cover 
Effective/ 
Improvements & 
safety, building 
information provision and 
Low Cost        
Early years 
damage and transport 
advice to all of School 
(SCF) 
disruption which leads 
service areas.  
to child care issues 
Public awareness of school 
Communication team to 
Cost 
Act Now 
Respond as 
and parents unable to 
closures through key media 
liaise with senior 
Effective         
and when 
go into work.  
sources, ensuring the 
management regarding 
required.  

communication team have a 
school information handling 
Review after 
shared awareness of issues 
and media management. 
event. 
emerging.  Liaise with 
Transport teams regarding 
information on the condition of 
roads and access to schools.  
Snow, Ice & Frost 
Area Managers informed in 
order to support schools.  
Staff unable to make it 
Met office warnings to be 
Warnings actively monitored  Cross-Cutting 
Act Now 
Adult Health & 
All snow/ice 
to work - risk of not 
forwarded to BC Champions to  within AHCW and cascaded. 
Benefits     
Community 
warnings 
enough staff to cover 
decide actions. ACL Service to  Each ACL teaching centre / 
/ Adaptable 
Wellbeing 
cascaded to 
front line services - 
publish teaching centre 
local Library branch decide 
Management
BC plan 
Staff health and safety 
closures on websites, via 
independently to close if 
managers, 
for those who need to 
Contact Essex, and Essex 
conditions are dangerous. 
and 
visit clients such as 
radio stations. 
Providers  
Meals on Wheels, 

 
Gritting near care homes 
Cost 
Monitor/Act 
Adult Health & 
Gritting 
WRVs kitchens.  Non-
and day care centres. 
Effective          now 
Community 
policy on 
main roads, 
Communities / Residential 
Wellbeing 
internet 
pavements not gritted 
homes to store grit.  Front 
but still need to be 
line staff warned which roads 
accessed to get to 
are being gritted early to 
clients. 
plan their journeys  
 
8

 
 
ECC Adaptation Action Plan 
Climate 
Risk to Service 
Risk 
Building Adaptive Capacity 
Delivering Adaptation 
Adaptation 
Timescale  
Lead 
Monitoring/ 

Delivery 
Score  
Actions 
measures 
Responsible  
Review 
Weather 
options rank 
process 
event 
Failure to maintain cover
Maintain and test Business 
  
Cross-
Act Now 
Business 
Yearly 
for frontline services or 
Continuity Plans.  Exercise a 
Cutting 
Continuity 
review.  
unable to reach and 
8 to 9 
call down communication 
Benefits          
Champions 
provide support to 
systems and flexible working 
(AHCW, SCF & 
clients  
with staff. 
ESH) 
Disruption to transport 
Discuss and influence where 
Encourage operators to 
Cross-
Monitor Passenger    
network causing road 
possible appropriate vehicle 
access Government funding  Cutting 
Transport 
 
closures, congestion, 
contracts with operators to 
streams, work with operators  Benefits          
Strategy (ESH) 

rail delays and reduced 
meet changing needs and 
to improve the benefits of 
bus passenger 
passenger expectations. 
public transport as an 
satisfaction.   
alternative to the car. 
 
Staff unable to access 
Maintain and test Business 
  
Low Cost         Act Now 
Business 
Yearly 
place of work due to 
Continuity Plans. Implement 
Continuity 
review.  
council building and IT 
flexible working arrangement 
Champions 

damage, health and 
Update and inform staff of 
  
Corporate HR 
Continually 
Extreme Weather
safety causing service 
issues and provisions. Review 
Service 
reviewed 
disruption. 
HR web pages and polices.  
Building damage and 
Testing of emergency/ disaster    
Low Cost         Act Now 
Risk 
  
public injuries will impact 
recovery plans and business 
Management 
on ECC self insurance 
continuity plans.   
Consultancy 

fund, costs and 
Implement a long term risk 
  
Cost 
Services 
  
availability for the council 
financing strategy to mitigate 
Effective         
(Finance) 
and businesses.  
these risks. 
Service delivery 
Action Business Continuity 
  
Cost 
Act Now 
Business 
Yearly 
severely affected by 
Plans - call down 
Effective         
Continuity 
review.  

disruption to transport 
communication/ flexible 
Champions 
network, phone line 
working/ working from home.  
(AHCW, ESH) 
connections and power 
Promote registration and 
  
AHCW Business 
Monitor 
failure.  Risk to Care 
awareness of EDF helpline 
Support 
 
homes and clients 

who provide 'priority services 
homes with medical 
for customers with special 
equipment. 
needs during  power cuts 
Storms
Windblown waste & 
Ensure contractors include 
  
Adaptable 
Plan Ahead 
Waste 
  
debris will be a risk to 
measures to prevent increased 
Management  
Operations & 
the public. High winds 
levels of leaching at landfill 
Contracts team 
will result in closure of 
sites from storms. 
(ESH) 

waste facilities, which 
  
Ensure alternative disposal 
Cross-
Act Now 
  
may lead to waste 
options are available when 
Cutting 
  
stockpiling, impacting on 
individual site closes. 
Benefits          
health  
 
9

 
 
ECC Adaptation Action Plan 
Climate 
Risk to Service 
Risk 
Building Adaptive Capacity 
Delivering Adaptation 
Adaptation 
Timescale  
Lead 
Monitoring/ 

Delivery 
Score  
Actions 
measures 
Responsible  
Review 
Weather 
options rank 
process 
event 
Storms 
Consider the need for more 
  
Cost 
Act Now 
 
 
 
 
frequent collection, Working 
Effective         
with District and Boroughs. 
Vulnerable clients at risk 
10 
Identify young and families most  Include in Service Action 
Cost 
Act Now 
Vulnerable 
  
from heat exposure 
vulnerable to heat stress, with 
Plans planning for hotter 
Effective         
Children Service 
include: older people 
physical and mental health 
summers, such as 
Development 
living alone, or in a care 
problems. Train social care staff  increased visits during 
(SCF) 
home, children with 
to manage and advice on heat 
heatwaves. 
disabilities in ECC 
stress  
residential centres or 

  
System to identify and check  Cost 
Monitor AHCW 
Business 
Vulnerable 
fostering homes, Clients 
on vulnerable people living 
Effective         
Support 
client list 
with underlying health 
alone. Daily contact by care 
maintained 
problems on 
workers or volunteers to 
(currently 
medications or 
those identified as high risk. 
1,000 
bedbound. Those living 
Follow the 2010 heatwave 
clients). 
in poor ventilated 
advice for health & social 
buildings, homeless and 
care professionals  
 
those with physical and 
outdoor jobs. 
  
Follow government Heat 
Cost 
Act Now 
AHCW Business 
Review after 
Wave Plan: leaflets sent to 
Effective         
Continuity 
incident 
clients and libraries.  Meals 
Champion 
on Wheels place drinks into 
 
client’s hands. 
Rubbish decaying 
Through education and 
  
Cost 
Act Now 
Recycling 
  
more rapidly in warmer 
awareness activities and 
Effective         
Promotions & 
weather, encouraging 
campaigns, reduce the 
Education team 
Hotter Summers
pest species and risk 
amount of waste produced 
(ESH) 

to people’s health. 
per household. 
Review and revise Codes of 
  
Cost 
Plan Ahead  Waste Operations    
Practice and enforcement to 
Effective         
& Contracts team 
ensure proper waste storage  
(ESH) 
Increased demand on 

Review and revise 
Transport companies adapt 
Cost 
Monitor 
Passenger 
Initial report 
public transport due to 
maintenance routines for publictheir services to reflect new 
Effective         
Transport 
end 
an increase on outdoor 
transport to take into account  travel and leisure patterns. 
Strategy (ESH) 
2011/12, 
activities and facilities. 
rising temperatures. 
Monitor impact on 
Implementa- 
Pass holders increase 
concessionary fares costs. 
tion plan 
travel due to weather 
Find new methods to promote  Passenger Transport 
Low Cost         Act now 
2013/14 
unrelated to price could 
public transport use, walking 
information strategy review 
increase costs. 
and cycling to visit tourist 
locations. 
 
10



 
This booklet is issued by 
Essex County Council, Spatial Planning and Regeneration.  
You can contact us in the following ways: 
 
 
By Post: 
Spatial Planning and Regeneration 
Environment Sustainability and Highways 
County Hall 
Chelmsford, Essex 
CM1 1QH 
 
 
By Telephone: 
0845 603 7624 
 
 
By email: 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx
 
 
 
Visit our website: 
www.essex.gov.uk 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The information contained in this document can be translated, and/or made 
available in alternative formats on request.