I write this article with a heavy heart as we contemplate the dreadful wildfire at Dunwich Heath and the damage caused to one of the most beautiful parts of our county.

First, we must give thanks to our incredible emergency services and firefighters, who have bravely tackled the fire from the ground and the air and worked to bring the situation under control. Their courage and professionalism deserve our deepest gratitude.

This disaster demonstrates that the changes taking place in our climate are neither abstract nor distant. We only have to look at the terrible wildfires across Europe, together with the drought conditions we have experienced here, to understand that we are confronting dangers of a scale and intensity that cannot responsibly be ignored.

For Suffolk County Council to turn its back on this danger at the precise moment our county is confronting wildfire and drought is extraordinarily reckless. The emergency is here, in Suffolk, affecting our communities, our firefighters and one of our most precious natural landscapes.

Suffolk County Council’s abrogation of its climate declaration and commitments may come to be regarded as one of the most grotesquely reckless decisions in the modern history of our county. This is not about ideology. It is about resilience. It is about protecting our county from an uncertain future that, in many respects, is already upon us.

Before the drought and before the wildfire at Dunwich Heath, I had already decided to bring a Motion on Notice before West Suffolk Council reaffirming our commitment to practical environmental stewardship and local resilience. It called for a calm, evidence-led approach that helps protect our communities from increasingly severe and unpredictable conditions.

Somewhere between climate alarmism and climate denialism lies a pragmatic path forward, and this is the course that West Suffolk Council has chosen. We will continue to support practical environmental stewardship, responsible investment and the resilience our communities will need in the years ahead.

Our natural environment is among our most precious inheritances. Once heathland, habitats and wildlife are destroyed, they cannot simply be replaced. The damage caused by this fire is a tragedy, and its scars may take many years to heal. My heart breaks for the wildlife who have been displaced or have perished.

I am a passionate environmentalist and have always maintained that protecting the planet should be one of humanity’s highest priorities. A healthy natural environment sustains our communities, our wildlife and our future. I meet so many people in Newmarket who feel the same.

Practical environmental stewardship is not about panic or virtue signalling. It is about preparing for extreme heat, wildfires, flooding and drought, while using new technologies to reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, protect public assets and save taxpayers’ money. It is demonstrably the right thing to do.

Our history is unwritten.

It is our duty, as councils, to make the very best decisions we can, with the science available, to protect our future.

Until next time, please take care,

Janne Jarvis

West Suffolk District Councillor, Newmarket North

Town Councillor, Studlands Ward