SWINDON Borough Council has been urged to consider declaring the current fuel shortage a ‘major incident’.

That could allow the council to direct fuel supplies to ensure key workers - such as  those at Great Western Hospital - are a priority for being able to fill up their vehicles.

Councillor Jim Grant, the Labour group’s leader, says the local authority should follow the example of Surrey County Council, which is thinking about such a move.

He wrote to corporate director of children’s services David Haley, who is acting as chief executive at the council in Susie Kemp’s absence.

Coun Grant’s letter said: “I am writing to you to ask that Swindon Borough Council convenes a meeting of the Local Resilience Forum  in order to consider the option of declaring the current fuel crisis a major incident.

"Should the LRF declare a major incident then I would hope that it would use the powers at its disposal to prioritise key workers in getting access to fuel.

“Surrey County Council is already taking this step and I would urge Swindon to follow suit.

"It may well be that others are correct and that the situation returns to normal in the next few days but if that isn’t the case then we need to make sure Swindon has taken all necessary steps to prevent  the situation from worsening.”

The Swindon and Wiltshire Local Resilience Forum is chaired by the Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police Kier Pritchard and is made up of representatives from the police, Wiltshire Fire Service, Swindon and Wiltshire Councils, the NHS and Public Health England and the Environment Agency.

Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver said: "We are deciding whether or not to declare a major incident which would give the forum powers to prioritise key workers.

"We have got access to fuel supplies which we can designate for priority workers so social workers can be given a card which enables them to access those supplies.”

Leader of Swindon Borough Council, David Renard said: “It is disappointing Coun Grant has chosen to use the current fuel situation as a means of generating headlines for himself. Rather than scaremongering, he would be better placed taking a leadership role and reassuring local people that there is no shortage of fuel nationally and to call for calm amongst motorists.

 

“The major players in the UK fuel industry expect demand to return to normal levels in the next few days and they are working closely with the Government to ensure fuel is delivered to petrol stations across the country.”

 

“As a council, we have been working closely with our local partners within the Wiltshire and Swindon Local Resilience Forum and there is a plan in place to respond if and when appropriate to do so”

 

“There is also a national emergency plan for fuel which contains provisions for petrol rationing and designated fuel stations for critical workers, but none of these plans have ever been used and are unlikely to be needed at the present time.”

 

"We therefore have no need to declare a major incident and I would urge local residents to only fill up their vehicles if they really need to at the present time."

 

“I have to wonder whether Coun Grant is using this situation to deflect attention from his party’s disastrous conference! It seems he can’t get enough of negative and scaremongering headlines.”