15th   After spending the morning having a dental check-up, that I have every 6 months, I attended  a meeting on “Emergency Planning”.   It is some three years since I was last involved with this subject when it was part of my portfolio as an executive member of the City Council.   The risk register has changed, the 6 highest now being: Pandemic, Flooding, Disruption of Fuel supplies, Disruption of Oil supplies, Failure of National Electricity Supply and severe Volcanic Activity.   Storms and Gales, Radioactive Nuclear Contamination and terrorist activity are now reduced to Medium risk!   How times have changed.   We still have an Emergency Community Reception Centre facility in Scotby Village Hall but it is unlikely that anyone locally has an Emergency Pack, as advised, to be available within 5 minutes if one only has 5 minutes to clear one’s home.

16th   I was at Redhills, Penrith at 9.30 a.m. for a meeting on “Reducing Energy Costs for Rural Communities”.   An interesting meeting with lots of ideas for reducing the costs individually or as a community.   As I now sit on the Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel this was indeed a very useful meeting.   In the evening I was at the Hartley Trust Committee meeting in the Village Hall, Scotby.   The Trust manages the Village Playing Field, Tennis Court and childrens’ play area.

17th   Another evening meeting this time being the Scotby Village Hall Committee of which I am a member.   Apart from general maintenance and repairs there are new regulations regarding the provision of Emergency Lighting for Village Halls.   This will need to be actioned within the next twelve months and could cost up to £1,000.   Grants will need to be requested once costings have been received.

For the rest of the week I was busy collecting signatures for the petition to go to the Department of Transport regarding the proposed Detrunking of the A69 road from the Brampton By-pass Roundabout to Junction 43 of the M6 Motorway and transfer it to the A689 from the Roundabout to Junction 44 of the Motorway.   This will reduce the amount of heavy traffic through Corby Hill and Warwick Bridge and a weight limit can then be placed on the bridge preventing 40 to 44 ton lorries from using this road.   As this is a Euro-Route no weight limit can be put on this bridge that was built in 1834 for horse and cart/carriage traffic.   We have the support of our two M.P.s who will take the petition to the Department and further our cause.