Hillsborough Ward Councillor Richard Tinsley said in his maiden speech at Wednesday’s Full Council,
“In the People’s Emergency Briefing Professor Hayley Fowler; she’s an expert in Climate change at Newcastle University, advises us “It’s sobering when you realise that this is the least extreme climate you will experience in your lifetime”. 2026 has not just been a bad year for extreme weather, it is not an outlier – this is our UK weather now and it will get worse.
“In May and June 2026 there were 2,877 additional heat-related deaths according to the UK Health Security Agency; that is the equivalent of more than 4 Jumbo Jets crashing in just 2 months. The South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has already moved from a “Winter Plan” to a “seasonal surge” plan to help cope with both summer and winter temperature extremes.
“Adaptation is a triple win; good for the economy, good for communities and good for nature. However, it must be noted that retrofits for homes is an equality issue, with poorer households unable to find the money for shutters etc. Changing planning regulations is not enough – we need funding from central government to ensure that the poorest in society are not left behind again. Adaptation needs to be delivered at pace with the required resources and funding there to back them up.
“Rewilding is a key aspect of these measures allowing the restoration of natural habitats, pulls carbon from the air, acts as a buffer to extreme weather and builds resilience regionally. Green spaces and naturalised urban corridors provide local cooling and help manage extreme heat. Wetter, more complex landscapes lower wildfire risks compared to uniform, dry areas. While mentioning wildfires I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the amazing Park, Countryside and Emergency Services personnel who spent this summer fighting wildfires, many of which were started deliberately.
“We are doing some of this already –the Learning in Warm and Hot Weather Toolkit published in June 2026. The councillor only screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing and Solar panels for schools; funded by Municipal Climate Bonds. It’s not a surprise that these are all Green Party Councillor initiatives.
“There are also several things we should not be doing – spending money on a failed airport in a climate emergency is unjustifiable; as is manufacturing carbon-intense weapons to be sold to countries involved in illegal wars and kowtowing to the mad, orange tyrant in the US especially as he considers climate change to be “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world”.
“These are not ideas; it doesn’t matter what you “believe”, they are the facts! Now is the time for strong leadership and bold politics – not text messages banning BBQ’s, or supporting the use of more drilling for fossil fuels; adding even more carbon emissions or dining out on the latest bung from your new favourite crypto billionaire, sugar daddy!
