Hot weather safety and communities coming together The extreme weather has led to a particularly challenging week for many people, especially our vulnerable residents and people providing frontline support services for our communities. The red heat-health alert by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the South West has been extended until 11pm on Friday. The Met Office Red Severe Heat Warning is in place until 23:59pm today. The council is continuing to deal with incidents caused by the heat and the heavy rainfall on Tuesday, but we’ve kept essential services running wherever it’s safe for our staff to do so. Thank you for your patience if you have experienced disruption. You can check the latest hot weather advice and service updates on the council website and keep an eye on our social media channels. We have a directory of Cool Spaces in B&NES where you can keep cool, rest on hot days and shelter from the sun. At our cabinet meeting on 2 July we’ll be considering a raft of new proposals including a new SEND Reform Plan for Bath and North East Somerset. The plan sets out support through early intervention, inclusive schools and better access to specialist provision. It builds on Our Plan for SEND which includes proposals for a new 120-place special free school at the Culverhay site in Bath and the start of work on a new SEND resource base at Mulberry Park Primary School. We’ll also be reviewing plans for a major step towards delivering hundreds of new affordable homes at Bath Western Riverside by progressing the funding and land agreements needed to unlock the next phase of development. This includes more than 300 affordable homes as part of the 1,000 homes planned across the site. Finally, Armed Forces Day (Saturday 27 June) is a chance for us all to recognise and thank all those who have served, past and present, and shown their courage and commitment. On Monday we gathered with the community in Bath to raise the Armed Forces flag, which is already flying in Parade Gardens ahead of Saturday. Please stay safe in the heat and enjoy the weekend if you can. Have a good weekend. A message from Councillor Sarah Warren,
Councillor Sarah Warren, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable B&NES | 
