Agenda and draft minutes

To elect a Chair for the Task and Finish Group.

It was proposed and seconded that Councillor Heywood be elected Chair of the Dawlish Community Emergency Plan Task and Finish Group.

RESOLVED: that Councillor Heywood be elected Chair of the Dawlish Community Emergency Plan Task and Finish Group.

It was proposed and seconded that Councillor Littlewood be elected Vice Chair of the Dawlish Community Emergency Plan Task and Finish Group.

RESOLVED: that Councillor Littlewood be elected Vice Chair of the Dawlish Community Emergency Plan Task and Finish Group.

To receive, note, and where requested approve, the reasons for apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Wrigley and Foden.

RESOLVED: that the apologies be noted.

To declare any disclosable interests relating to the forthcoming items of business (if any).

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive and consider requests for dispensation (if any).

There were no dispensations.

To receive comments, maps and assistance from the Environment Agency on the draft plan and sections related to flooding.  

In discussion with Councillors and representatives of the Environment Agency (EA) the following points were raised:

·         Rapid response catchments.

·         Risk of fast flash flooding and if a flash flood occurred at night.

·         Floods do occur in the summer period more than other times in Devon and Cornwall.

·         Holiday parks where residents might not be familiar with the local area and limited on call staff. Parks need to be engaged.

·         EA could provide maps for the plan.

·         EA can provide training – desk and real exercises to put the emergency plan into action and test.

·         Need to merge triggers from both warning systems – from EA and DTC’s own and what happens at trigger levels – possible green, amber and red so clear what actions to take when activated.

·         Need to be aware of what Warren Watch do and liaise with police with plan.

·         Plan needs to be easy to use – use of flow diagrams.

·         Need to identify vulnerable areas for fast response.

·         Funding available for meetings and equipment.

·         Sample Bere Plans shown.

To identify the locations for the community consultations and consider a plan of community engagement to be undertaken relating to the action points.

• Structure of plan needs to be set in areas: potentially wards.

• Community needs to help define areas, locations and what’s possible and what may already be happening. Community meetings and engagement in the parish to find the what, where and who. This will give community ownership and help.

• Need to look at capacities of locations – Cockwood, Holcombe, Dawlish Warren and the facilities available. What is at the current location Dawlish Leisure Centre – are there blankets, what can be stored?

• Coaching sessions required for any places of safety.

• Telephone triage trees.

• What’s App co-ordinating group.

• Involve services in risk assessments and plans – Fire, Police and others possibly willing to help in the community write the plan.

• Meet and involve agencies such as the Environment Agency

• Find out and make sure liaison with Starcross and Teignmouth’s plans.

• Sandbag stores - need more key holders.

• Snow wardens – none at present who are trained so the council can’t access additional grit if required.

• Who will lead this plan – is it Town Clerk or other staff or councillors depending on

location base and councillors? How will cascade work?

• Never assume external support or timing of arrival.

• Vulnerable people will vary according to the location.

• Housing association, Assist Teignbridge and others / Care services to feed in – how will wardens be contacted.

• Maintain the plan -annual than 3 yearly full review and on the agenda of a council

meeting once a year.

RESOLVED: that the following actions be taken:

·         Identify most vulnerable locations in plan for fast response.

·         Apply for funding for meetings and equipment.

·         EA provide maps to help in the plan.

·         Flow diagrams for ease to be created in plan.

·         Access points need to be populated.

·         Photos of places – and using what 3 words references.

·         Triggers – work with EA on actions to take (green, amber, red) and how the DTC hydrologic measures fit/work with EA measures. To be clear by end of September for public meeting.

·         Information to public to report culverts and ditches where issues

·         What other information sources are there? Surface water from DCC? Met Office severe weather warnings.

·         EA to help provide training and exercises with view to specific to Dawlish parish circumstances. Desktop and real exercises.

·         Engage with holiday parks and if no on call staff.

·         Liaise with Cockwood group, Starcross Group and other associations i.e. Holcombe Residents Association.

·         What finance is available to those needing boards, floor proof doors etc.

·         Feed into national gateway and National Community Resilience Forum.

·         Community engagement – need people with experience, emergency volunteer drive for all type of volunteers and in all parish areas.

·         August – call out for all types of volunteers and engage with public meeting in September/ October.  Possible video. Meeting to be time limited 6.30pm to 8pm – light hearted and engage involving Police, Fire Service, TDC and EA. Table top exercise.

·         In the interim Cllrs Dawson and A James to be sandbag key holders but community volunteers would be able to identify wider pool for snow wardens and sand bag volunteers.