Our immediate asks are for a risk register for vulnerable businesses and a more responsive abstraction licencing system.
Longer term, the NFU has also asked for a consistent and positive planning approach to reservoirs, further rounds of the Water Management Grant and targeted investment in climate adaptation, to help build resilience to extreme weather.
At a local level, our Environment and Land Use Adviser Georgie Hyde is in regular contact with the Environment Agency and the water companies to advocate for Herefordshire farmers. If you have any questions or feedback, please do get in touch.
The media team has also worked relentlessly to highlight the impact on farmers, with 623 pieces of coverage across TV, radio, print and online. A big thank you must of course go to those members who have given their time to speak with the media, and help raise awareness with the public.
We have also been in regular communication with the fire service and police service in Herefordshire, to ensure that we can continuing to learn from the incidents across the county this summer.
Below is a message we have received from Deb Davies, Group Commander and Head of Protection at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service:
'As we move into another period of very warm weather, there are a few key messages that would be helpful to reinforce:
- Call 999 immediately. As soon as a fire is identified, the priority should be to contact the Fire and Rescue Service before considering any localised actions. The sooner we receive the call, the sooner we can mobilise resources. It is never a problem for us to receive multiple calls to the same incident, but it is important that someone makes that initial 999 call rather than assuming someone else has already done so.
- Use What3Words whenever possible. This is an extremely effective way of providing an accurate location to Fire Control, particularly in rural areas where postcodes can cover large geographical areas. As highlighted by the incident yesterday, precise location information can save valuable time
- GoodSAM video footage is very useful. Where available, live video allows Fire Control to gain an early overview of the incident and can be shared with responding officers and crews to help them prepare before arrival
The use of farm machinery can be extremely helpful, particularly in creating fire breaks and limiting spread.
However, the safety of those operating machinery must always remain the priority, and no action should be taken that places individuals at risk.
- Water supplies and local access knowledge are invaluable. Farmers often know the most suitable water sources in their area and, in some cases, water bowsers or slurry tankers have helped support firefighting operations and boundary cooling activities
- Livestock management plans are important. Having contingency arrangements for moving stock, along with identified access and egress routes, can significantly assist if a fire threatens grazing land or agricultural buildings
- CCTV and Ring doorbell footage can assist investigations. Footage can be extremely useful in helping emergency services and partner agencies establish the origin and cause of fires
- Report any suspicious activity to the police. Prompt reporting can help identify and prevent deliberate fire-setting.
Most importantly, whilst we greatly appreciate the assistance provided by farmers, we would always encourage them to prioritise their own safety. Property, crops and machinery can be replaced; people cannot.'