Morpeth flooding review highlights flaws of authorities

Jan 8 2009 by Dave Black, The Journal

Local views

FLOOD victims and other people in Morpeth will get the chance to have their say on the independent review at an open forum in the town this month.

Castle Morpeth Council plans to hold a public scrutiny meeting on Thursday, January 29, when local people and business owners will be able to voice their views on JBA Consulting’s report and conclusions.

Representatives of the consultants and a panel of partner agencies will be there to discuss the contents of the report and answer questions from the public. The meeting will be held in St James’s Church Hall.

Comments at the meeting will be used by the council to frame a response to the independent review, to be agreed by the executive on February 5. JBA is due to submit its final report at the end of February.

Response

JBA Consulting has made 30 recommendations to improve the multi-agency response to any future flooding incident in Morpeth. These include:

Revisions to existing emergency plans, including the Castle Morpeth Flood Action Plan.

Northumbria Police to play a role in the review of the Flood Action Plan to ensure a cohesive, multi-agency response to flooding in the borough.

Ensure those in Northumbria Police who need the information in the plan have access to it.

Improved reliability of the Environment Agency’s flood warning service.

Improved reliability of communications systems used by responding agencies during a flood event.

Further awareness-raising activities to inform the public of the roles and responsibilities of the responding agencies.

Encourage self-help and manage expectations of what can and can’t be done.