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| North Wales Local Resilience Forum | |
|---|---|
| Name | North Wales Local Resilience Forum |
| Formation | 2004 |
| Headquarters | Wrexham |
| Region served | Wales (North) |
| Leader title | Chair |
| Parent organization | Civil Contingencies Act 2004 |
North Wales Local Resilience Forum is a statutory multi-agency partnership coordinating preparedness and response across the northern counties of Wales including Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, and Wrexham. Established under national legislation, the forum links regional units and local authorities such as Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, North Wales Police, and Natural Resources Wales to manage hazards including flooding, severe weather, industrial incidents, and public health threats. It operates alongside national bodies like Public Health Wales, UK Health Security Agency, Ministry of Defence, and interfaces with devolved institutions such as the Welsh Government and the Senedd.
The forum functions as a convening body for statutory responders and category 1 and category 2 organisations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, drawing participation from emergency services including North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, healthcare trusts such as Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, and local authorities like Gwynedd Council, Conwy County Borough Council, and Denbighshire County Council. It maintains strategic plans addressing risks identified in the National Risk Register and regional risk assessments used by entities such as Natural Resources Wales, Met Office, Environment Agency, and Public Health Wales. The forum aligns activity with national resilience arrangements linked to Cabinet Office, Home Office, and UK-wide exercises coordinated by Civil Contingencies Secretariat.
Formed in the wake of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and driven by lessons from events including the 2007 United Kingdom floods and regional incidents affecting coastal communities like Llandudno and Holyhead, the forum consolidated local authority emergency planning units from counties such as Flintshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council. Its evolution paralleled developments in devolved emergency response policy in the Welsh Government and engagement with UK agencies such as the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive. Influences included major incidents like Ferrybridge power station incidents and pandemic preparedness shaped by previous collaborations involving Public Health Wales and the UK Health Security Agency.
Membership comprises statutory responders defined in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004—notably North Wales Police, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, and multiple unitary authorities including Isle of Anglesey County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council, Gwynedd Council, Conwy County Borough Council, Denbighshire County Council, and Flintshire County Council. Category 2 partners include infrastructure operators like National Grid, transport bodies such as Network Rail and Transport for Wales, utilities like Severn Trent Water and Welsh Water, and voluntary organisations including British Red Cross, Samaritans, and St John Ambulance. Governance structures mirror practices used by regional forums across England and Scotland and follow guidance from the Cabinet Office and the Welsh Government resilience framework.
The forum’s statutory remit encompasses collaborative risk assessment, multi-agency planning, shared situational awareness, and coordinated response during incidents affecting communities such as Bangor, Rhyl, and Colwyn Bay. It prepares strategic and tactical plans compatible with national frameworks from the Cabinet Office, liaises with health agencies including NHS England counterparts and Public Health Wales, and supports multi-agency command arrangements used in incidents like major flooding, industrial accidents at sites similar to Deeside industrial estate, and cross-border emergencies involving Chester. The forum also supports recovery planning engaging bodies like the Office for National Statistics and regional regeneration agencies.
Operational activities include producing multi-agency plans for hazards identified in the National Risk Register, coordinating shelter and evacuation arrangements with local councils such as Flintshire County Council and Gwynedd Council, and integrating meteorological forecasts from the Met Office and hydrological data from Natural Resources Wales. During incidents the forum facilitates liaison between operational control rooms of North Wales Police, fire control, ambulance trusts like Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and specialist teams from Ministry of Defence where required. It supports public messaging in concert with media agencies operating in regional centres such as Wrexham and Bangor and works with transport operators including Network Rail and Transport for Wales to manage infrastructure impacts.
The forum organises and participates in multi-agency exercises drawing expertise from organisations such as Civil Contingencies Secretariat, Public Health Wales, British Red Cross, St John Ambulance, and emergency services to test plans and interoperability. Training programmes are delivered with partners including Higher Education Institutions in Wales, resilience teams from the Welsh Local Government Association, and specialist providers used in exercises like coastal flood simulations near Llandudno and chemical incident drills informed by Health and Safety Executive guidance. Community preparedness initiatives engage town councils, voluntary sector networks, and local media to promote resilience among residents of areas such as Holyhead, Conwy, and Rhyl.
Governance arrangements follow statutory duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 with strategic oversight provided by senior representatives from member organisations including unitary authorities and emergency services; chairs and subgroups report into elected bodies in the Welsh Government and partner boards such as those of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Funding is drawn from partner contributions, central grants administered through entities like the Cabinet Office and programme funding from UK-wide mechanisms that have supported resilience initiatives after events like the 2007 United Kingdom floods. Partnerships extend to national agencies including Natural Resources Wales, Met Office, UK Health Security Agency, and private-sector infrastructure operators such as National Grid and Network Rail to ensure sustained capability across North Wales.
Category:Emergency management in Wales