A PETITION demanding the council declares a climate emergency in the Royal Borough is gaining hundreds of signatures.

Campaigns against climate change have been making national headlines in recent months and now residents are demanding action is taken in Ascot, Windsor and Maidenhead to protect the environment.

A description attached to the petition, which was submitted by resident Sarah Bowden, read: “The solutions to the climate crisis are widely available including planting and retaining trees, renewable energy provision, sustainable transport options and zero-carbon buildings.

“We call upon the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) to join with more than 40 other local authorities in recognition that this is an emergency and should be addressed in line with the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.

“All governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the scale and impacts of Climate Change and this will require collaboration at all levels; individual residents, local groups and businesses, and the council. RBWM should do all within its power and influence to take rapid action now.”

So far, the petition has received 559 signatures and residents living in the borough have until Thursday, October 10 to add their name to the list.

This means RBWM will respond to the petition as more than 100 people have signed it.

Signatories include Conservative councillor Gurpreet Bhangra, who tweeted: “I’m delighted to have signed this petition – thank you to Sarah Bowden a local resident in Boyn Hill for starting and bring this to all our attention.”

You can view the petition here.

Other Berkshire authorities have received petitions demanding they declare a climate emergency.

Reading Borough Council (RBC) declared a climate emergency in February, while a similar petition set up asking Wokingham Borough Council to follow suit is currently on more than 100 signatures.

West Berkshire Council is set to debate action on climate change after a petition demanding the authority declares a climate emergency surpassed 1,600 signatures.

No date has been set for West Berkshire’s debate yet but the petition is the largest in the council’s history.