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Local councils to play key role in emergency winter planning
Local (parish and town) councils are being asked by the Government to play a role in alleviating the adverse effects of winter emergency situations.
NALC is supporting this call for local councils to be at the heart of the Get Ready for Winter campaign, which aims to help raise awareness of the dangers posed by winter weather and provide tips and advice on how to minimise its impact. The campaign is run and implemented by the Met Office working with a number of Government Departments with support from charities and other community based organisation.
Andrew Percy MP, minister for Local Growth and Northern Powerhouse, said: “Town and parish councils are an important and highly visible part of the fabric of so many of our communities and I have been reflecting on my personal experience as a parish councillor and a local volunteer working to make sure my own community is resilient to severe winter weather.
“In the parish where I live, the parish council has developed an emergency plan so that the community can come together to support itself in times of emergency, such as flooding. I was interested to hear on my visit to Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire last week about the work of the local flood action committee.
“They told me that the process of writing their own emergency plan had improved the links between the local community and the key agencies which makes them better prepared for all weather related emergencies.”
Cllr Ken Browse, chair of NALC responded: “ It is important that all local councils get involved with this campaign as so many of you are already doing so. Local councils have a very important role in helping prepare and embed community resilience, and we are committed to working with all our partners to ensure that best use is made of the resources available. Our shared knowledge and experience can help us become better prepared for the future, both in terms of responding to flooding events, but also in maximising the impact of flood defence funding and working with different partners across boundaries.”
Read here for a checklist for local councils on winter preparation
Get prepared for winter with Met Office's Get Ready for Winter