Aylesbeare Local Emergency Response Team

Aylesbeare has a community help group called ALERT – the Aylesbeare Local Emergency Response Team. This was established during the COVID pandemic but remains in operation.

The Council keeps details of offers of help from the residents for winter emergencies. This includes everything from the loan of a tent to a spare room, sleeping bags & blankets to using a tractor to rescue stuck vehicles.

If you would like to add to this list please complete the survey online.

If you need help just call Jim, (the clerk) on 07768 457590 or 01392 202692 or email the ALERT team.

Weather related Emergency Procedures

Winter Road Salting

If the roads need salting the roads to be treated are shown on this map

If the weather is persistently cold these secondary routes will be salted as well

For details of Devon County Council's plans to keep us moving here's the Winter Service and Emergency Plan.

Aylesbeare Flood Plan

Every parish should develop its own flood response plan so that we can help ourselves to ensure that flood risk is minimised and that all members of the parish receive the help they need should we experience flooding.

Flooding is not just caused from overflowing rivers and streams but can also be caused by extreme run-off from hills and fields as well as from new development which reduces the capacity of the ground to allow water to soak away. The problem is that flood water is not just nice clean rainwater but can contain all manner of nasties from effluent and sewage to chemicals and biohazards. Walking in flood water is dangerous because of hidden dangers such as manhole covers which have popped off and driving is especially dangerous because just a few inches of flood water can cause a vehicle to float, posing a real danger to the life of its occupants as well as causing the vehicle to further block the path of the water.

We are relatively lucky in Aylesbeare that our flood risk is considerably lower than in other local parishes such as Otterton, Ottery, Newton Poppleford and Clyst St Mary, but we do have a watercourse running through the parish which passes through Perkins Village and Rosamondford on its way to join the River Clyst and eventually the Exe.

The Aylesbeare flood plan is being updated. What we need to do now is:

• Identify using maps any properties or roads that have a history of flooding
• Ensure that occupiers and neighbours are aware of these risks
• Find out if any of our watercourses, streams, culverts or ditches are in poor condition or blocked and work with adjacent owners who have a responsibility to keep them clear
• Produce a simple plan that we can share with residents and other agencies so everyone is aware of risks and people willing to help or needing help.

We will be using the many good examples already produced by others to develop a relevant and useful plan – we are not trying to over dramatise or over complicate the issue, just recognise that many of the old fashioned community spirit-based practices are more difficult now and we need to put some simple plans in place to make sure we are ready for action if need be.

We need some new members on the group particularly those with really good local history knowledge and knowledge of the land and watercourses in our parish. We would also like everyone to use this map to simply circle any known flood areas or properties at risk. We will have a large scale copy of the plan available too which we can use and circulate to the agencies. We would be happy to come to talk at any local groups about this issue and help build up our plan and map.

Thank you in advance for your help – please send your map to the Parish Clerk along with any offers of help or requests for more information. Once produced, our plan, map and lots of useful guidance publications will all be available on the parish website.

Devon County Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority for its area and has produced this strategy in line with the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. It consists of a collection of documents including a summary report, full technical report and local action plan. The action plan prioritises areas and communities that require flood alleviation works.

Anyone who would like to provide any comments on the Strategy can view the documents online at www.devon.gov.uk/floodriskstrategy and respond using the strategy consultation response form.

There are four grit bins in the village - one is in Village Way just along from what was Bendarroch School, by the Village Hall, in Withen Lane and at Rosamondford. There are bags of grit in the parish which are left in vulnerable places when needed.

Sandbags are also available - please note these are supplied empty. If you need help just call Jim, (the clerk) on 07768 457590 or 01392 202692 or email the ALERT team.