London’s risk from rising temperatures

Whilst the GLA ask us about Heat Risk and how to mitigate it thay have approved the removal of 800+ trees in Wimbledon Park and loss of green space to be replaced by 38 tennis courst. Thus exposing future generations to risk of extreme heat.   

I was moved to make a change about how we cope with the heat in my local community. I contacted Thames Water who were very helpful and gathered their information on water usage, heating and how to keep cool safely. I then produced a ten point guide for my local community on water usage, heat control and looking after yourself. As a local Changmaker I then contacted my local public health team who adjusted and produced the leaflet . The leaflet was then was made available in all Newham Library and Health fairs. 

So if anyone out there is concerned about the situation, you can make a difference. Just do what you can in your little part of London and see what happens. 

Go for it. 

As a London National Park City Ranger ( a scheme sponsored by the Mayor) we have a saying…. Do London Differently!! 

I’m on a certain type of medication that makes me more susceptible to heatstroke. My disabilities already make it very difficult for me to leave the house, and high temperatures make that nigh on impossible without high risk of heatstroke. Initiatives like planting more trees, painting roofs and streets in lighter colours, and improving the electricity grid to allow for higher load, are all proven methods of helping in a heatwave. Poorer neighbourhoods are more likely to lack greenery and are therefore often hotter than wealthy ones.

I think there should be government initiatives to make homes, hospitals and public transport cooler; maybe something similar to the winter fuel payment for households. So many people (e.g. the elderly, infants, the disabled, etc) are more prone to heatstroke and hospitals become overwhelmed when a heatwave hits.

The survey didn’t mention expanding air conditioning access, which is concerning to me. Air conditioning needs to become much more widespread, and energy prices need to be capped to allow for homes and businesses to actually use it without breaking the bank. Spending on expanding air conditioning access now will prevent future and current strain on health services & unnecessary heat related deaths.

I think a air purifier approach would be a better concept as I feel managing the ambient temperature through heat dissipation instead of blowing cold wet air into a room is a much better method to stay cool, 

An air purifier combined with a normal fan is good enough to make a room cool as well as take the dust and mould spores out of the air making it a solution to accommodate those who have breathing difficulties and underlined health conditions I know the initial problem is heat however let’s try accommodate the solution to also help the severe mould problem we also seem to get in winter too there’s been an increase risk of people developing underlying health conditions via the mould which sets them up for failure during warm periods.

I live in a small one bed flat (new build) with my wife and son. When we experience hot weather (or just sunny weather in summer) our flat heats up and retains heat. It can easily reach 29C with no way to cool it. 
as it’s a leasehold we have little or no hope of making any changes to it like adding shutters on the outside of the building. 
it would be beneficial to the whole building to address this issue as a whole but there is little interest especially when costs are mentioned. If there was support to do these kinds of things from local government that would help. Until then we suffer. 

Great this is being done but there was no mention in the survey whatsoever of supporting people getting aircon. 

The only thing to do was to stay inside with the windows and curtains closed and have an air-con unit in one room. Flats in roofs  are just not fit to live in during heatwaves.

And can’t get better insulation as it’s leasehold. 

We need regulation to force rented accommodation to be retrofitted with insulation and AC (which happens to also being you a heat pump roll out at almost no extra cost).

currently even if you have specific health needs there is no option of AC for renters who can't afford every aspect of luxury apartments.

It’s reached point where I try hard to avoid taking the tube because of the unbearable temperatures on most lines, but even walking around the city in the summer is a challenge, especially in direct sun. The following would make a difference to me:

• More street shade such as trees
• More public drinking water fountains
• Efforts to cool public transport
• Better ventilation on buses
• Improving air quality on the tube 

I don’t believe widespread AC is a good solution, as it will make the outside air hotter. 

As Building Regulations Part O dealing with overheating only came into force in June 2022, it is obvious that most buildings built before then will need retrofitting of passive cooling measures or the introduction of active cooling measures (e.g. aircon). Blocks of flats with windows that open inwards need external shutters. Planning permission for air conditioning to be installed en masse in blocks of flats will need to happen. Whilst planning permission is dealt with at a local council level, this will need to be coordinated across London otherwise we risk some areas falling behind in adapting to climate change.

My flat gets ridiculously hot in the summer, and things that are common in countries like Italy would help so much – shutters for the windows, canopies to create shade. Air con would be so useful too, particularly on the tube! 

Remove regulatory barriers to air conditioning. My portable AC unit was a lifesaver this summer, nothing else worked. Extreme heat deaths are much lower in the US where AC is common. AC is not bad for the planet (and is only getting cleaner) as it draws power at the times when solar panels are supplying most power to the grid.

Also why is your survey asking me if winters are wetter or how much reflective roofs would cool houses? Those are scientific questions you should answer with scientific models. The general public’s opinion is not relevant. 

The Tube is the worst part of it all — and a real health hazard. There is ample evidence showing that temperatures on many lines are rising year by year.

While I’m not a huge fan of air conditioning due to CO2 emissions, installing an appropriate cooling system on the Tube would significantly improve passenger experience. It could also encourage more people to choose public transport over driving or using Uber — options that often result in higher emissions. In the long term, this could help TfL boost ridership and revenue.

Adaptation AND mitigation. Accessible external shading products for the masses (current products are too expensive and burdensome to install - London is a city of renters, remember!) and a huge tree planting initiative. The difference in temperature in green spaces vs hard pavement zones is staggering.

I cope ok with the heat as my home is very cool and i keep curtains and windows shut in Summer.  It is winner and cold Damm weather that i find hard to cope with