Invitation – The Greater London Authority invites you to register sites for Cool Spaces – Summer 2022

The Greater London Authority (GLA), in partnership with London Councils, the boroughs and other partners, is coordinating the establishment of indoor and outdoor cool spaces from 1^st June to 15^th September 2022 (the same period the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England Heatwave plan for England is operational). This builds on the establishment of indoor and outdoor cool spaces in the summer of 2020 and 2021.

During summer heatwaves, there is a need for cool spaces in the city where the public can rest from the heat and cool down. Cool spaces are public or private spaces which are open to the public and designed to provide the public, including those with no fixed abode and those with little and or no adaptive facilities in their home, with a cool space to retreat to from excessive heat.

As with last summer, the GLA will identify, establish, and promote cool spaces in London with a mapped network of indoor and outdoor cool spaces accessible to all Londoners.

To help the GLA and partners identify and establish a cool spaces network in London we are asking boroughs and organisations to register suitable sites.

Registration is open until Tuesday 3^rd May 2022 through the following methods: –

• Fill in an online form here: https://apps.london.gov.uk/cool-spaces-registration/#/register 
• Register multiple outdoor public open spaces at once through the Excel form attached (this is a new approach to enable you to register multiple spaces at one time). 

Both indoor and outdoor cool spaces will be operational between 1st June – 15th September 2022 (the same period the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England Heatwave plan for England is operational).

Registering multiple sites: 

Following requests from some boroughs to provide a less onerous way of submitting multiple sites, we have developed an alternative method for the registration of outdoor public open spaces as cool spaces.  

If you would like to register multiple sites, please email fireandresilience@london.gov.uk

Once organisations submit their sites, the Cool Spaces Project Steering Group (PSG) will review submissions to establish a network of cool spaces across the City. As with last year, cool spaces are categorised according to a  tiered system. The tiered approach to classifying cool spaces is meant to provide Londoners with a better understanding of what can be expected from spaces and how certain spaces can better fit their needs. An explanation of the tiers can be found at Appendix 1. The GLA may need to contact you to discuss your submitted space.

The GLA is keen to have as many responses as possible to ensure we have a spread of cool spaces registered in all of London’s boroughs. In addition, by taking the time to register sites now, you will help the PSG identify where further investment might be needed to improve and enhance London’s network of cool spaces in the development of further phases. So, please do get in touch by submitting your site/s online.

If you have already registered sites last summer

You are not required to complete another online registration form for this summer. However, if you would like to keep the same sites registered for this summer, please send confirmation of this in an email (including the names of the spaces) to: fireandresilience@london.gov.uk

If you wish to add additional sites to the sites you registered last year, please complete the online registration form including the new sites.

If you would like to submit photographic images of your registered sites, please send to the email address below.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at:

fireandresilience@london.gov.uk