Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Some of my family had been living out of their home for two years after a big flooding only to have it done again this time I do not think they find in funny.
Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
No-one is treating this lightly Vic and I'm sorry for your family, how awful for them.
Foil "blankets" can be brought from £-land and stored in a drawer.
Bob, remember the little boy in Holland who put his finger in the dam?
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Again thank you for puting that but as you can see not many agree with us.
Bob Whysman
- Registered: 23 Aug 2013
- Posts: 1,938
Vic, it's not about agreeing or disagreeing with anyone's views. It's a coming together of differing views which can't possibly be a solution to all events but are useful in some circumstances.
I think that this thread, started for the right reasons, has served as a means of getting the 'grey matter' active just as events in the South West has done for the 'experts.'
Healthy discussion is always useful, rarely moves mountains immediately but can sometimes provide the foundations for progress to address the problem.
Lesley, now I know where the expression 'dam knickers' comes from!
Do nothing and nothing happens.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
This not new to Kent the meetings that was held by the KCC,was over two years ago with parish councils the centres should be up and running by now, and it parts of Kent they are ,they even do mock up weekends events with the E/servises etc.so they know it will work if needed.Thank you for the way you worded your last post .
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Sorry to bring this back to the top again,but after seeing it all going on down South and that lady crying saying there was not the back up of helpfor the pubilc and crying out please come we need more help brings it back again that we do need to have the centres setup in place even with the Emergeney servise there they still need more .and just have a parish council siting down saying it can not happen to us because we have a major town within 5miles or we are on top of a hill is very silly talk all our parish have homes in very exposure places and some are hard to get to .and could be in danger of flooding or anything this time of the year,we have never had weather like this before and it is only luck that this corner has not got it. And for a member of the District council say in public they can handel it ,is not right in some cases they could not if the flooding coverd anything over 20miles our District council with all the will in the world and with all the cutbacks they are having could not handel it even with the Emergeney servise, we have seen our parishs now without their own fire engine,our hos/are miles away our towns do not have a 24/hour back up any more police staions are not man after 20,00hours we have to take some of the missing dutes on.When working in Germany I found out that the parish I was living in ,at weekends the members of the parish had their own backup team and they were very professionl doing monkup emergeneys etc our parishs must take on more responnsibility and be ready to respond in a emergenery it might not just be flooding, it might be a major rd or railcrash in fact anything.Its better to be ready and nothing happen then find out when it does happen.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
Residents in Lower Road are requesting sand bags and I have contacted DDC .Thats what local councllors do .Vic Im sure you could help to fill. them
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
If the parish council had acted it would be done by now ,we have herd on the foum only over the last few hours,we have cooking and power in the parish halls that good but what happens if the power goes out, some have been without power for well over a week,each center needs its own backup generator in case that happens, and we have seen the power go local many times but not for long, just think if it was for two weeks the KCC or the power companys could not get power to all parishs and if they could how long would it take. We have had a local parish cllr come on this forum saying that they only have a preset of £10.000 per year ,that amount would not keep one family going let alone a parish the size of Lydden ,I did say at the time to that council that they need to set it higher ,I know about the cutbacks etc I like the rest only just get by each week. Geting back to sand bags they are the very first thing and do not cost alot to fill them and place them out where needed,but if as we seen the water coming up to and pass the 5ft mark there is noway afew sand bags would stop it.If I am needed in Lower Rd and I am asked by the residents to help they only have to aske,I was out this morning about 0200hrs .No need to say why ,but it was all taken care of by the E/S. in the close we all try to keep our eyes open incase help is needed .But the first thing any parish council must lookout now is power to their centre a Generator is a must .I think the UK have had a big wake up call this year and we now can see what needs to be done by us all in citys towns and mainly in parishs which are off the main rds etc. It will not be done overnight but over years and the cost will be high but so it was in the war,and in away this is a war and we need just like the war days work with each other with a smile.There no more I can say about it ,
(Well there is but not now) Just to say that the D.D.C. have their own E/bunker I know because I helped build it,but is it setout as such and do they do mockups,do they have maps on the walls etc of all the outline district or is just a place to store old book work,I do not know but I hope they have some kind of set up down there backed up with a working Generator,They might well have as I said I do not know. Just one last word it was the parish councils I was on that wanted me off . Please do not say again I have wrote all this down just to get my name in the press it was not and saying it would upset me At my age and healh there is not much more I can do but talk.Thank you. I will be talking about some of this at a council meeting tonight .,Parishs fill up their salt bins ready for the bad weather why not sandbags to.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Sorry but it makes me mad Mrs Nicholas is trying to say I do not play apart in helping, that is very wrong each time the close is cut off with snow,which we have seen in the pass 3years,I get out there clear it away from one end to the other,I am always out there with my head looking down the drains and clearing the mud away from them for the water flow, I like to do it ,I have the time on my hands I have my seat to sit on because I cannot stand for to long.Again I am not looking for any thank you,but I must stand up for myself when stones are coming my way.And as I said like being out in my bunker I like to do it.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
On DDC home page in bright Red Capitals it gives out advice re flooding .
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
No one is saying you dont help.I know you called over to a neighbours last night to help .Im just giving out advice re what is available from DDC.I dont want my precept going up to buy camp beds etc.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Bring up all the sand bags to my home and I will sit out there and fill the lot on my own.My wife bless her soul said she will help to ,so over to you ,we are waiting.
Guest 977- Registered: 27 Jun 2013
- Posts: 1,031
Vic, I will bring up your suggestion under AOB at Lydden Parish Council meeting tonight and ask the other councillors if we can cost out 50 bunk beds and blankets, storage for same, having a contract with local plant hire firm to have lorries on standby just in case, an emergency generator (would need to be a large size for lights, about 12kW heating, refrigerator, 3kW water boiler, and cooking as we have no gas in the village hall), installing a phone line as the nearest public phone is nearly a mile away and there's no mobile signal, increasing the clerks hours to cover the extra responsibilities etc etc that you have suggested - never mind increasing the precept we would probably have to put a nought on the end of it and I think we know how that would be taken by our residents!
When it comes down to it little of this would be justifiable as it would be duplicating the responsibilities of the District and County councils and the various emergency services e.g we have two farms in the village and both are under contract to KCC to supply tractors to clear snow and other services when requested, it's not a parish council level of responsibility.
Our role is to make sure we are in contact with all these other organisations and make our facilities available when requested, and in fact our village hall is not run by the parish council but by a separate trust which is a registered charity and legally limited by its trust deeds as to what it can do - did you know that?
As for helping our parishioners in need, we are a member of
Advice Partnership for East Kent so if we hear of anyone with a particular need (in general emergencies or a one off) we can put them in touch with the right organisation to give them the appropriate help and advice.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Thats all good but you might need to do more and the things you need as I said cannot be done overnight ,but there is some funding out there to help you,to late now but you should have added more to your precept, I am not picking on Lydden it might sound that way but there are many parishs and some right out in the wilds that need to do more..The local plant firm you have near by is great and alot more then most have,They might help and agree to them in a set up plan in case of a emergenery for free after all they are in the parish .Its all a very big IF and I know that but I also know there is more that can be done.You go on to say about the other servise etc and help if you need it,great but has it been put to the test to see if it all works you need to do the mockups the servise you talk about need to do be called out at times to see if it all works having it down on paper is only part of it.Its only by trying it out you will find if the need to change or add to what the plan would be.
Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
Anyone who has watched todays news will see the frustration of a group of volunteers struggling with the responsibilities that should have been provided by varies agencies. They are to be applauded for their work and dedication in helping their neighbours in very difficult and, in some cases, dangerous circumstances.
I think Vic is saying that in the first instance the coordinators of this sort of incident have some sort of plan in place.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Thank you,I am good at talking but need help to put on paper what I mean.
Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
You come over loud and clear Vic, no worries!
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I do hope so ,again thank you how would you like to be my unpaid secretary.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Just taking this one step more ,will the EU MEMBERS send us funding now we need it,like the UK does round the world sorry just had to put that in.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
One more thing to look at if you think it can be done how many parishs have a closed up church or under used,this could be open up for a store or part of the church even it could be your E/Centre setup ,Lydden again has a church which the parish council pay out to keep the outer wall in good order so is this way to off set that cost.God would love to see his house back in use for the parish with members working etc in it.There are other things a closed up church could be used for in a parish there is a need for them they should never be locked up and not used. So think about that one get a key have a look round inside. Talk to the key holders see what can be done a 100years ago that is what the churchs were used for they were the main centre of a parish it can be the same today.
