Cornwall Council urges parishes to draft local emergency protocols

A recent survey by the National Association of Local Councils reveals that nearly one-third of parish and town councils across the country have no formal emergency plan at all, while fewer than half maintain any structured protocol. This gap in preparedness has prompted Cornwall Council to direct its 290 local communities to develop specific response strategies for weather events and connectivity failures.

Thalia Marrington, the cabinet member for community safety at Cornwall Council, stated that the county’s geographic position as a remote peninsula creates unique vulnerabilities. She wrote to Security Minister Dan Jarvis, noting that disruption in such dispersed areas can have disproportionate impacts on residents, local businesses, and public services. Marrington emphasized the need for practical communication channels to inform the outside world when local areas become cut off.

The push for local planning coincides with a national public awareness campaign launched by the government to help households prepare for extreme weather. However, there is no statutory obligation for town and parish councils to hold an emergency plan. Cornwall Council has published a toolkit on its website to guide local authorities, offering support for arrangements that promote resilience in the face of increasing pressures on emergency services.

Marrington noted that the current environment presents multiple simultaneous threats, including cyber attacks, global conflicts affecting fuel supply, and a rapid shift from wildfires to floods and storms. She described the situation as a practical necessity rather than alarmism, given the strain on public services. The council aims to ensure that towns and parishes can operate independently if central support is delayed.

In Boscastle, a village in north Cornwall that suffered devastating floods in August 2004, local officials are integrating community response into their planning. Ian Peyman, a member of Forrabury & Minster Parish Council, said the group is working on a policy that prioritizes local action. He highlighted the risk of the traditional copper landline network being removed, which could leave the village without power, internet, or mobile coverage.

Peyman’s group has distributed red and green leaflets to households in the village. Residents display the green side to indicate safety, the red side to signal a problem, and nothing to prompt neighbors to check on them. Peyman stated that the community cannot rely on services arriving from outside during a crisis and must build the capacity to manage emergencies internally.

In Mawnan Smith, near Falmouth, Hannah Christophers, a home care company owner, formed an emergency group following Storm Goretti. She reported that the village was cut off for two to three days, during which ambulances were unable to reach the community. Christophers said her group focuses on equipping residents with the skills and resources needed to be ready for future events.

Christophers is offering her own pack of resources to nearby communities to help them establish similar groups without starting from scratch. She noted that the initiative is about determining what the community can provide for itself. The goal is to ensure that local residents have the tools to handle immediate needs before external help arrives.

Cornwall Council confirmed that numerous community emergency plans are currently in development across the county. These initiatives address specific issues such as flooding, health and wellbeing, and the support of vulnerable residents. The council continues to support these local efforts as part of its broader resilience strategy.