Flooding
Being prepared for flooding can help to keep you safe – find information that could be of use to you here.
Walberton Parish Council has a Flood Plan which you can read here.
Southern Water management policy 2025
Southern Water have updated their water management policy (read whole policy here) to state that:
“Robust evidence must be provided to demonstrate that all surface water disposal routes have been explored ……… a surface water connection to the combined sewer will only be permitted under exceptional circumstances.
(1) We will refuse any requests for drains or sewers to connect with a storm water overflow sewer.
(2) Applications for surface water connections into a foul only sewer can only be permitted with our consent. We will refuse any request for a connection for surface water into our foul only sewer network on the grounds that making the connection is prejudicial to our sewerage network and detrimental to the environment due to discharges from storm overflows.
(3) Applications for surface water connections into a combined sewer will only be permitted if; a) there are no alternative options under the surface water disposal hierarchy, and b) there is capacity*. If none of these criteria can be met, then the Applicant/Developer at their cost will need to requisition or provide a new surface water only sewer to serve the development.“
Preparing for Emergencies
Did you know that in the event of an incident in our community or neighbouring area your Parish Council has a responsibility to help the emergency services? To make the most of the facilities, equipment and volunteers, four neighbouring Parishes work together: Climping, Ford, Walberton and Yapton Parish Councils.
We recently met and agreed that we needed to send out a call for volunteers. The volunteers will be trained and will work in teams to support whatever the Emergency Services need from us.
Role of the Parish Councils
- To use their knowledge and facilities to help the local community, including identification of vulnerable individuals and groups
- To prepare and activate the Parish Emergency Plan, including opening a rest centre when required.
- To support the Emergency Services.
- To carry out local risk assessments.
- To communicate warnings and information.
- To support the recovery and rehabilitation of the community once the incident has passed, feeding into lessons learned.
- To communicate and work with the Police-led Emergency Resilience Community Group.
Objectives
- Identify the risks to the community and relevant response actions required.
- Identify vulnerable individuals and groups
- Identify volunteers and resources to assist the community in the event of an emergency.
- Provide key contacts for the community team, the community volunteers, key holders of key resources, emergency services and local authorities.
Can you …
| Drive a 4×4 or your own car? | Use a chainsaw? | Make tea and coffee for many people? |
| Write lists and organise information? | Talk to people and listen to their needs? | Identify vulnerable groups and individuals? |
| Prepare to help people with pets? | Look after children and their parents? | Help people who need first aid? |
| Help people get medical treatment and medication? |
If you have worked in the emergency services, we will welcome your skills and knowledge but as you can see from this list of skills, the requirements are not specifically limited to those skilled jobs. We have representatives from most of the services, as well as people who have had safety roles in their workplace or been in clubs where they have held organisational roles.
We will work with our volunteers to…
| Develop team working | Enable you to use radios | Enable you to read maps and plans |
| Learn to work safely in the dark | Use simple tools and equipment to make you safe | Maintain information |
| Set up a rest centre | Look after each other and our residents | Work across Parish boundaries |
| Work in different locations | Communicate with the other Parishes | Communicate with the Police-led Emergency Resilience Community Group |
| Teach you First Aid | Teach you how to use community defibrillators |
If you think you could join us, please get in touch by emailing Pippa Greenan at Yapton Parish Council.
We will share your details across the four parishes and by volunteering you agree to share your contact details and skills in each Parish, not just your own. We will check our volunteer register annually. You can remove yourself at any point in the year by contacting your Parish Resilience Co-Ordinator.