Dan Jarvis, Minister of Security in Cornwall has promised to increase Cornwall’s resistance to storms after the extensive damage caused by Storm Goretti. Minister Jarvis stressed the commitment of the government to ensure Cornwall can better resist severe weather events.
Storm Goretti was described by the Met Office as the worst storm to have hit Cornwall since the 1930s. The storm caused widespread damage and left many homes without electricity or broadband service for several days.
Leigh Frost, the leader of Cornwall Council, criticised the national system for emergency response. He said that it had not kept pace with contemporary risks. Leigh Frost pointed out the flaws of Bellwin’s funding system that reimburses local governments for costs related to disasters.
Jarvis recognized the concerns expressed by residents of Helston about essential utilities such as telecoms that are vital for rural communities. Jarvis assured residents in Helston that he will coordinate with agencies of government and partners from the industry to improve infrastructure resilience.
Jarvis stated that people are concerned about the reliability of essential services, especially telecoms. I have raised these concerns with Whitehall, and will be working closely with government and industry partners to make Cornwall as resilient as it can possibly be.
Frost emphasized the need for tangible change, and not only reflections. Frost called for an update to the emergency response policy, a reform of Bellwin, and funding which aligns itself with climate risk rather than old models.
This council will hold government to account for these promises and make Cornwall more prepared to face future extreme weather.
