Keep flood sirens or pay 8 per cent more
A ROW over whether flood sirens should be scrapped will rage on this week.
West Norfolk Council members will be told to ask their constituents: “Do you really want to pay eight per cent extra on your council tax to pay for these to be replaced?”
The sirens were not used in the recent successful large-scale Yarmouth flood evacuations, adding to the question of whether the sirens are needed, said a report by West Norfolk cabinet member for community David Harwood.
The aged existing system will cost 600,000 to replace and the Environment Agency, which has responsibility for flood warnings, has said it will not pay, leaving the cost if works go ahead to fall on district and county councils and ultimately the taxpayer, said the report, due to be considered by full council on Thursday.
Consultation over the future of the sirens has been going on for months now and sceptics have said there could be dangerous holes in proposed new warning systems, including mobile phone black spots, and claim there is still a place for sirens.
Thursday’s council report said: “The question being asked is: Are the sirens still needed or are they outdated and is a better system of warning the public in flood areas now available?
“It appears not even the authorities agree on what a flood siren warning actually means. Does it mean ‘flooding imminent, evacuate now!’ or ‘there is a chance of flooding, be prepared’.
“Looking at the placement of the sirens as they are now it appears they are not in the right places anyway.
“To make matters worse when tested there is a ten per cent failure rate because of the age of what can only be described as a failing warning system.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for King's Lynn
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
