We’ve all seen “warm places” during the winter, made available for people to visit to protect vulnerable people from hypothermia and to provide comfort and safety during cold weather. As summers get hotter due to climate change, we’re aware that people are needing “cool places” in a similar way during heat waves. 

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are real risks for many people. We believe our council should provide cool places during these increasingly hot summers to mitigate heat related risks for people, as well as providing relief and comfort. 

Councils have a duty to public health, in particular identifying heat-vulnerable residents and supporting them with preventative measures. Extreme heat is an emergency weather event and councils are responsible for emergency planning. We think providing cool places is part of these responsibilities. 

These cool places should be free to access, indoors, and easy to get to. To protect vulnerable people, cool places should be kept at or below 26ºC. We think the council should aim to have a cool places in every ward in our borough. The council could work with parish councils, village halls, churches etc. to ensure that everyone is able to seek refuge from extreme heat. 

Below is a list of wards in our council area and if the council already provides a cool place there. We’re asking the council to fill in the full list with free to access indoor cool places. 

Write to your local councillor to use them to get the council to provide a cool place in your area. Find their details here.

Airfield Ward
Bircham with Rudhams Ward
Brancaster Ward
Burnham Market and Docking Ward
Clenchwarton Ward
Denver Ward
Dersingham Ward
Downham Old Town Ward – Downham Market Library
East Downham Ward
Emneth with Outwell Ward
Fairstead Ward
Feltwell Ward
Gayton and Grimston Ward
Gaywood Chase Ward
Gaywood Clock Ward – Gaywood Library
Gaywood North Bank Ward
Heacham Ward
Hunstanton Ward – Hunstanton Library
Massingham with Castle Acre Ward
Methwold Ward
North Downham Ward
North Lynn Ward
Snettisham Ward
South and West Lynn Ward
South Downham Ward
Springwood Ward
St Margarets with St Nicholas Ward – King’s Lynn Library
Terrington Ward
The Woottons Ward
Tilney, Mershe Lande and Wiggenhall Ward
Upwell and Delph Ward
Walsoken, West Walton and Walpole Ward
Watlington Ward
West Winch Ward
Wissey Ward