Agenda item

Out of Office Hours Response to Severe Weather

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Leytham)

 

Report of the Head of Environmental Services

Minutes:


(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Leytham)

 

Cabinet received a report from the Head of Environmental Services to enable Cabinet to consider generally how the Council should respond to severe weather occurrences out of office hours, and specifically the arrangements for the provision of sandbags to members of the public. 

 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

 

OUT OF HOURS OPERATIONAL RESPONSE

 

 

Option 1a

Continue with the existing policy of not providing an operational response over and above statutory responsibilities in the event of an out of office hours severe weather event.

 Option 1b

Provide a year round enhanced out of office hours response in the event of severe weather

Option 1c

Provide an enhanced out of office hours response when severe weather  warnings are received

Advantages

Consistent with statutory duties of a District Council

.Would meet the expectations of some of the public

Would meet the expectations of some of the public

Disadvantages

- Contrary to the expectation of some of the public

 

- Contrary to the expectation of some stakeholders

Would require a team of 2 to be on permanent standby and to be trained accordingly. The staff would also have to be paid for call out. This would cost a minimum of £11,400 per annum. There would obviously be additional staff costs if attendance was required at the incident.

 

The City Council would be operating beyond its statutory responsibilities which raises public expectations

 

Would require a team of 2 to be on standby for a minimum of 7 days when a severe weather warning is received. Assuming 10 severe weather warnings in a year the approx cost would be £1000 for standby. There would obviously be additional staff costs if attendance was required at the incident.

 

 

-sometimes severe weather events (eg flash floods) aren’t always accompanied by severe weather warnings.

 

If the severe weather warning was received out of office hours it may not be possible to contact the team to put them on standby.

 

The City Council would be operating beyond its statutory responsibilities which raises public expectations

Risks

- Adverse publicity

 

 

- raising of public expectation

 

PROVISION OF SANDBAGS TO MEMBERS OF PUBLIC

 

Option 2a

Continue to make sandbags freely available for people who wish to collect them from WLD

Option 2b

Introduce a charge for the provision of sandbags members of public

Option 2c

Discontinue the policy of making sandbags available to members of public

Advantages

Meets the expectations of some of the public

Meets the expectations of some of the public

Already the practice in a number of Councils

Ensures sandbags are used for the purpose intended

 

 

Ensures the Council is not acting beyond its statutory duties

 

Encourages householders to consider in advance how best to protect their home

 

Saves around £6750- 8100 per annum

Disadvantages

Already the Council receives requests from the public to deliver the bags to peoples homes because they have no transport. These are declined which causes upset to the member of public.

 

Anecdotal evidence suggests the sandbags are used for all manner of things other then protection from flooding.

There is nothing to prevent one person coming and taking away the whole supply of sandbags that is left outside the depot

 

Goes beyond the Council’s statutory duty

 

Around 2500- 3000 sand bags are taken per year which costs the Council around £6750- 8100

 

Doesn’t encourage people to plan ahead for severe weather.

 

Would require administering. Charges for the sandbags would have to reflect this

Contrary to the expectation of some of the public

 

 

 

 

Adverse publicity

– this is a key concern when there has been so much flooding recently elsewhere in the UK. Much footage has been shown of sandbags being deployed – to varying degrees of success on national and local news.

NOTE- the Council retained a supply of sandbags for its own use in the event of emergencies and would continue to do so.

The Officer preferred option was that in the event of severe weather occurrences out of office hours the operational response should continue to be in accordance with that which is statutorily required under the Civil Contingencies Act.  With regards to sandbag provision currently by providing free sandbags for collection the Council was acting beyond what was statutorily required and at a direct cost to the Council. The options Cabinet had in this regard were outlined in the table above.

 

It was in the Council’s interests to ensure that there was clarity as to the Council’s position on these issues.

 

Councillor Leytham proposed, seconded by Councillor Hanson:-

 

“(1)      That in the event of severe weather occurrences out of hours the operational response should continue to be in accordance with that which is statutorily required under the Civil Contingencies Act.

 

(2)        In order to improve the resilience of the District to severe weather events and to help residents well ahead to mitigate the risk of damage to their property from severe weather the Council focuses its efforts on a planned approach, including:

 

  • Providing information that will help residents plan well ahead – e.g. links to Environment Agency, Met Office via the Council website
  • Working with other Agencies, e.g. the County Council, Environment Agency to provide specific support and advice to communities that are known to be vulnerable to severe weather events
  • Influencing Agencies with specific responsibilities, e.g. the County Council, Environment Agency to take proactive actions that will reduce the disruption caused by severe weather events.

 

(3)        That Cabinet agrees in principle to introduce a charge for the provision of sandbags to the public and delegate the details to the Head of Environmental Services for agreement along with the relevant portfolio holder.”

 

Councillors then voted:-

 

Resolved unanimously:

 

 

(1)        That in the event of severe weather occurrences out of hours the operational response should continue to be in accordance with that which is statutorily required under the Civil Contingencies Act.

 

(2)        In order to improve the resilience of the District to severe weather events and to help residents well ahead to mitigate the risk of damage to their property from severe weather the Council focuses its efforts on a planned approach, including:

 

  • Providing information that will help residents plan well ahead – e.g. links to Environment Agency, Met Office via the Council website
  • Working with other Agencies, e.g. the County Council, Environment Agency to provide specific support and advice to communities that are known to be vulnerable to severe weather events
  • Influencing Agencies with specific responsibilities, e.g. the County Council, Environment Agency to take proactive actions that will reduce the disruption caused by severe weather events.

 

(3)        That Cabinet agrees in principle to introduce a charge for the provision of sandbags to the public and delegate the details to the Head of Environmental Services for agreement along with the relevant portfolio holder.

 

Officer responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Head of Environmental Services

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

The decision will ensure clarity with regard to the Council’s position in relation to the issues.

 

Supporting documents: