Emergency Plan
Last week’s snow showers made for some good sledging weather on the hill near to my house and thankfully my kids are old enough that they don’t need me to pilot the sledge anymore. I was speaking with a friend who lives a couple of streets away and he tells me that there are three guys in the street who are on call to help some of their elderly neighbours clear their paths and ensure they’ve got the food essentials if they’re unable to get out of the house (we have a fair number of smaller council houses occupied by older people in Braehead). This sort of unofficial community emergency planning is incredibly valuable and I know is goes on all over Stirling.
This weekend Stirling Council will be testing their emergency planning with a“war game” involving the emergency services, council employees and community representatives. It sounds more exciting that it probably will turn I’m sure I wasn’t alone in reading the front page of last week’s Stirling Observer. News that Network Rail need to replace the Kerse Road bridge to allow for electrification of the railway was not well received.
In my community we have real concerns that the traffic will divert through our streets and, given that the main road separates us from the community halls, a playpark and the community garden, any diversion will have to be carefully thought out and managed to avoid potential chaos. We’ve also seen the problems facing local businesses by limiting the traffic to one direction at Barnton Street; a complete closure of the road could have a huge impact on the many businesses in Springkerse. So, some careful consideration in the coming weeks from Network Rail, Stirling Council and everybody else affected. This electrification programme better be worth it.
Chris Kane is a journalist and marketing consultant with Bee Herd Media Ltd. Contact him at www.beeherdmedia.co.uk