STORM ARWEN CAME TO LOWICK
Recent Facebook correspondence has asked whether the Parish Council is providing leadership in time of local crisis. This is an interesting point and the PC looks forward to hearing from any member of the community who feels the PC’s role should be augmented, and what this might be.
Members of the Council have been out around the village and its road network looking for damage and evident distress, and, through its established Keeping Lowick and District Connected network, has been listening out for any individuals who need help and assistance.
We are pleased to see that our real community network – the friends and neighbours we all depend on – has come to the rescue whenever it has been needed, and that the Thomas family have benefitted from many offers of help and support.
We have all suffered from power cuts and loss of water, and have groaned as yet the again the lights have flickered, and the torches and candles been dragged from their corners.
The PC shall certainly be looking to see what better system of information giving can be expected in the future, as we can certainly expect more bad weather in the future, and also how we can better supply our vulnerable residents with support.
Our Vice Chair did contact Northumbrian Water and asked for bottled water to be supplied. This was delivered to the village by the Fire Service. Very often, it is difficult to obtain information when electricity, phone, wi-fi and mobile phone networks have gone down. It is also confusing when our electricity supplier is not the same as Northern Power Grid, or South of Scotland Electricity!
Whilst not wishing to avoid responsibility, we feel that the County Council has the key role to ensure its tax payers are informed about actions taken to help them. They know who to phone at Northern Power Grid or Northumbrian Water, and can expect not to be left in a queue for ages to report issues. They can then let us know via their County Councillors, or the PC.
In the main, we feel that the Utility Companies have worked hard to recover from a disaster, and it’s hard to see what they could have done differently, although you may feel you could offer some helpful suggestions.
Locally, we are indebted to the White Swan for collected supplies, and to the Black Bull for the bowser in the Car Park, and to any other unsung hero who helped on. We also understand that a rescue party of shooters from the Black Bull were out clearing trees from our roads.
LOWICK.LIVE 