Extreme weather guide for businesses

A GUIDE has been produced to help Warrington businesses prepare for extreme weather.
The guide – entitled “Weathering the Storm” – has been produced by the borough council, the neighbouring Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester councils and the North West Local Authority Sustainability Network.
It recognises that small and medium sized local businesses are far less likely than large businesses to have taken steps to improve their climate resilience and that many have been hit by recent flooding, high winds and ice and snow.
The insurance industry has found that 80 per cent of businesses affected by a major incident either never re-open or close within 18 months.
Cllr Linda Dirir, Warrington Borough Council’s lead member for highways,
transport and climate change, said: “We hope that businesses find this guide useful and helps them prepare for the impacts of extreme weather and also offers advice about how to recover quickly if you are affected.
“Such events have the potential to affect our everyday lives and it is important that we all take responsibility and do everything we can to be prepared.”
Case studies from local businesses that have been affected by extreme weather events are included, along with information on how they have adapted themselves to become more resilient.
The guide offers a simple checklist and useful advice on how to prepare, respond and react to extreme weather events so businesses suffer less disruption.
“Weathering the Storm” is available online at www.claspinfo.org/SMEadapt
More details are available from Ailsa Gibson on [email protected]