Blewbury buys new equipment thanks to SSEN funding

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has bought Blewbury Parish Council a generator, water pump, emergency lighting and a trailer to help it prevent localised flooding and keep footpaths clear.

The £2,670 grant, from the SSEN’s Resilient Communities Fund, is aimed at helping the village become more robust and resilient in the face of adverse weather, emergency situations or power cuts.

Chris Lakeland, chair of Blewbury Parish Council, said it would help the village cope in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather.

He said: “Blewbury Parish Council is extremely grateful to SSEN for their generous grant which enables us to fulfil our contribution to both our local and the overall Oxfordshire emergency plan.

"Climate is changing and we have seen frequent heavy rain events, so this grant could not have come at a better time.”

The funding has also covered the cost of required health and safety training for the village’s maintenance man, so he can operate the equipment and keep the village running smoothly.

It will help the parish council in its mission to keep the village’s pathways and access areas clear through its programme of tree inspection, maintenance and the clearing of stream debris.

Head of SSEN's Ridgeway region, Ian Reynolds said: “This is such a great example of how a community can be enhanced by the use of equipment and a maintenance programme that literally keeps the village mobile by ensuring that footpaths and walkways are kept clear and easily accessible.

“Safety is a key priority for SSEN, so it’s wonderful to see how the resilient communities fund is helping improve the safety of Blewbury’s pedestrians throughout the darker winter nights.”

Set up in 2014 as a two-year pilot scheme, SSEN has pledged to extend the resilient communities fund until 2023.

Applications will re-open in the spring of 2019.

To find out more about the fund, visit the website: ssen.co.uk/Resiliencefund/