Last night I held another meeting with officers, stakeholder, and residents to discuss the response to the tragedy that has occurred on Cleat Hill.
Week by week we are learning more and I would like to pay tribute to the patience of the residents. I hope they understand that the Council are their partners and will continue to work with them. Currently we are working with them primarily on temporary accommodation, determining when it will be safe for them to return (in conjunction with the Local Resilience Forum) and assisting them with concerns that we do not have a statutory duty for such as gas monitoring and gas monitors.
I am proud to say that the Council and our officers have stepped up and we are working with a number of partners from across the country including northern miners who have to travel down to Bedford from places like Yorkshire. I pay tribute to our officers as well.
Next week we are hoping to get the Health and Safety Executive back in the meeting along with the British Geological Survey. I want to give everybody their best chance at getting home for Christmas, just as they want to be home by Christmas.
