Would you know what to do in an emergency?

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 creates an obligation on Local Authorities to prepare a contingency plan for self-help in case of emergency, and parish councils are encouraged to formulate their own emergency plan. Stokenham Parish Council Emergency Plan has been prepared to assist residents of the parish to cope in the event of an emergency or other unforeseen situation that results in the disruption of normal day-to-day life in and across the area. Click here to see the latest version of the Emergency Plan.

The plan is, by its nature, generic, and most of the advice is generalised and what you might regard as “common sense.” In light of recent increasing storm threats to our community, however, much more specific plans are currently being worked up to deal with the eventuality that we might need to evacuate residents of our coastal villages in an emergency. Public consultations are already underway and experts from the emergency services and the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee will be meeting throughout the summer in order to have these plans in place in good time for next autumn’s storm season.

One of the key takeaway from the Emergency Plan is that on no account should residents take any action that would put themselves or others at risk. If you become aware of any situation where you think the Parish Emergency Plan needs to be invoked, you should in the first instance contact the Parish Clerk, clerk@stokenham-pc.gov.uk, telephone 01548 581185, or failing that, any parish councillor.