Agenda item

LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS AS REQUIRED BY LAW

(Papers relied on to write the report, which do not contain exempt information and which are not published elsewhere)

Contact Officer, telephone number and email: Alison Sayer, Resilience Manager, 01263 516269, alison.sayer@north-norfolk.gov.uk

The RM stated that it had been a busy year and noted that the Council’s contribution to the Norfolk Resilience Forum (NRF) would remain the same for 2023-24. She added that a number of exercises had been held, including exercise Lima which simulated a national power outage. It was noted that there had been an accelerated level of work across the NRF in order to catch-up on necessary workstreams following Covid, which meant that there were additional requirements placed on Councils. The RM reported that a national flood exercise had been delayed as a result of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and whilst the exercise had gone ahead, a number of objectives had not been realised, but would be addressed in two further exercises in the new year. She added that the British Red Cross had revised its support for rest centres with staff no longer provided, which made the Council more reliant on mutual aid from neighbouring authorities. It was noted that there was an intention to standardise the mutual aid process to enable neighbouring Councils to better assist each other when required. The RM stated that there had been a significant amount of work required to tackle Avian Influenza, for which NNDC had taken the lead on wild bird issues, due to the number of Broad’s locations within the District. She added that this work had taken significant resource, and it was hoped that more support could be given in the future, given the scale of the outbreak. It was noted that there had also been an increase in other events requiring a response such as storms, power outages and fires, with a 28% increase in events reported to the North Norfolk Safety Advisory Group.

Questions and Discussion

       i.          The Chairman referred to an events matrix on p148 and asked how this would work with the Licensing Team, to which the RM replied the matrix was tried and tested by the Safety Advisory Group, and that existing Temporary Event Notifications would align with the matrix to streamline the process.

      ii.          Cllr H Blathwayt noted that a substantial part of his ward was at risk of flooding, and asked whether officers were confident that existing measures or new measures would be robust enough to cope with the expected rise in sea levels. The RM replied that the NRF and Environment Agency were looking very closely at issues related to rising sea levels and sought to plan for a 100 year timespan. She added that NNDC were not responsible for installing flood defences, but the Council would continue to warn and inform residents of the risks, as well as continue to deliver the CTAP programme. It was noted that there were concerns about the number of aging flood wardens, with several expected to retire in the near future, so efforts were being made to address recruitment, but the RM remained confident that the necessary measures were in place to mitigate and respond to flood risks. Cllr H Blathwayt asked whether resources and additional contingency was available to help visitors during any flooding that took place out of season. The RM replied that NNDC had retained larger rest centres to ensure that the Council had enough capacity for residents and visitors, though the working premise was that it was the responsibility of the accommodation owner to inform visitors of flood related risks. She added that it was generally assumed that visitors would return home during a crisis, if they were able to do so, but capacity was available.

     iii.          Cllr S Penfold referred to one to one support offered to the shrine in Walsingham and asked if there was any particular reason for this. The RM replied that this was the result of previous plans not being up to the required standard, so advice had been provided. She added that neighbouring parishes were briefed on potential risks from travellers, and were equipped to respond appropriately, if required.

    iv.          Cllr A Brown referred to Avian Influenza which was a growing and serious threat to the region with potential zoonotic capabilities, and asked whether authorities regulated the health of imported game birds. The RM replied that there was Government guidance related to game birds, and their regulation was the responsibility of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and DEFRA, not local authorities. She added that there were concerns with new strains of the virus overseas, which meant that it was important to maintain strict control measures. Cllr A Brown stated that he remained concerned about the actions taken at a national level.

RESOLVED

To note the report and the council’s contributions to the Norfolk Resilience Forum and the response to incidents.