Launceston’s town council has agreed to provide aid to surrounding parishes in the event of an emergency.  

In October, Launceston town councillor, Paul O’Brien expressed his concerns regarding the council’s provisions to provide aid to others.  

At October’s full council meeting, Cllr O’Brien said: “Round about the end of May, I saw a report of a flood up in a Devon village… it started me thinking, if we experienced such an event, how would we cope with it, and equally, how would local villages to us cope with it as well.  

“Having had a think about it, one of the things our emergency plan lacks, is any way of seeking or offering assistance to neighbouring communities, it is all inward looking; what can we do when something goes wrong for us? But what about other people? 

“If you look at us as a town, we’re a fair size, we have employees, we have a full time clerk, we have premises, and so forth. Many of the villages and hamlets don’t posses anything like that at all.” 

Following this, the council agreed to such an idea. Since then, Cllr O’Brien has been working with surrounding towns to put wheels in motion and create a network of emergency support.  

However, at the most recent council meeting, Cllr O’Brien expressed his interest in extending this service to some of the smaller parishes around the town.  

At the meeting, Cllr O’Brien explained: “What I would like to do, with this council’s permission, is extend this offer to the small towns and parishes that surround us. Imagine, if you will, Werrington, Egloskerry, places such as that which I think would need support in the event of some kind of natural catastrophe. 

“With your blessing I would like to extend it to them, while they are unlikely to be able to offer anything to us, it is a moral duty for us to be able to support the little towns, villages and hamlets that surround us.”  

When asked what support would be provided, Cllr O’Brien explained that Launceston has provision to house thousands in the event of an emergency, through its various schools and churches. As well as this, the town’s farming connections and community could provide transport and equipment to those in need.  

Following a vote, the motion to extend the emergency aid programme was approved.