GREAT WAKERING PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Emergency Support/Sea Defence Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 25th July, 2017, in the Parish Council Offices, Little Wakering Hall Lane, Great Wakering, SS3 0HH, commencing at 10.30 a.m.

Present: -Councillors D. Efde (Chair), N. Hookway, T. Hughes, R. Loding (Vice Chair) and M. Sawyer.

In attendance: -S. Hyatt (Parish Clerk)

  1. TheOutgoing Vice-Chair M. Sawyer to declare the meeting open. The meeting was declared open at 10.30am.
  1. To elect a Chair of the Committee.

Councillors Hookway and Hughes made a statement for the record - they felt some aspects of the Agenda had been pre-determined and therefore they wished to resign from the Committee.

Councillors Hookway and Hughes left the Meeting at 10.31am.

Councillor Efde nominated and elected Chair.

  1. To elect a Vice Chair of the Committee.

Councillor Loding nominated and elected Vice-Chair.

  1. To receive apologies for absence.

All present.

  1. To receive declarations of interest in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct and with section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

Councillor Loding – allotment holder, Councillor Sawyer –Secretary of Memorial Hall.

  1. To agree as a correct record the minutes of the ESG/Sea Defence Committee Meeting held on 2nd February 2016.

Resolved that the minutes be accepted.

  1. The meeting will stand adjourned to permit Parishioners of Great

Wakering to address the Committee.

R. Loding – concern over New Ranges and how Southend Borough Council

dealing with them.

M. Sawyer – concurred and expressed concern re Emergency Response

Plan and the fact there was currently only one volunteer warden (Councillor

Wilkins).

  1. Councillor Sawyer proposes that the Parish Emergency Response Plan is reviewed.

Details needed to be added to plan and certain parts revised or updated,noted that page 10 onwards was restricted due to personal information contained within. Councillor Street had been integral part as co-ordinator. Councillor Efde took role as emergency co-ordinator as Chair of the ESG Committee. Discussion of current flood risk areas but noted that whole village could be affected by blackouts etc.

Resolved that the new Emergency Co-ordinator Councillor Efde check theEmergency Plan with a view to revising and updating the document at the next Meeting.

  1. Councillor Sawyer proposes that the implications of the information gained from the meeting on 11th July with Richard Atkins regarding Southend Borough Council’s Shoreline Strategy be discussed and the way forward decided.

Clerk had requested minutes from R. Atkins but had not yet received response. R. Atkins had stated that DEFRA had instructed SBC not to include Area 10 in current Shoreline Strategy. Committee to request copies of correspondence stipulating this and lodge Parish Council’s concerns re New Ranges. Concerns re lack of co-operation with MOD/QinetiQ and the fact Mr Atkins leaving SBC in the near future. Clerk to check arrangements for site visit.

Resolved that a letter be sent to Mr Atkins on behalf of the Committee addressing these issues.

  1. To consider the response resulting from the Committee’s letter to James Duddridge MP and decide action to be taken (if any).

The correspondence trail was reviewed and it was noted that the map supplied related to fluvial flooding and not to sea defences which was the issue raised by the Committee.

Resolved that the Committee await the response from R. Atkins before continuing with correspondence.

  1. At the Chairman’s discretion to exchange information relating to

ESG/Sea Defence matters.

Councillor Loding –need to get village (both Councillors and Parishioners) involved in ESG Plan.

Councillor Efde – proposed that once ESG plan updated an agenda item be tabled that a letter be sent to Parishioners calling a public meeting.

  1. To decide date and time of next meeting.

Next meeting10th August at 10.30am.

Meeting Closed 10.57am.