STONEHOUSE Town Council has called for an emergency plan in light of problems that arose during the recent flooding.

At a meeting on December 10, Stonehouse mayor Chris Brine praised the work of all those who were on the ground during the floods last month, but said some of the problems could have been handled more efficiently if an emergency plan of action had been in place.

Mr Brine said the council needs to have a plan in place for when these events happen.

He added: "Preventative measures are one thing but on the day people in the community need to trust that the council have a plan in place to support them in whatever they need."

Bridgend and Ryeford were the worst hit areas in Stonehouse by floodwater, however there was minimal damage done to property.

Cllr Belle Nelson called for better signage to help make the community aware of roads that are closed.

"Ebley bypass was closed but no one knew about it until they had sat in a 15 minute queue trying to get onto a closed road," she said.

Cllr David Drew, member of the regeneration and environment committee, reiterated that when people see a 'road closed' sign they must obey it.

"People should be prosecuted for driving through road closed signs. During the flooding there were people still trying to drive on roads where the water level was clearly still two to three feet high."

The council has received a number of compliments from residents who were affected by the flooding.

Mr Brine said: "They acknowledged the hard work we put in as a council to reduce the risk of flooding since the last time but it is clear that what we need know as a town is a plan of action for when this happens again."

Lesley Williams, who represents Stonehouse on Gloucestershire County Council, said the town council had to update their website more often as emergency plans quickly become out of date.

"During an emergency people need reliable information quickly which can easily be accessed via the web."

The call for an emergency plan was backed unanimously by the town council who will now decide on the content of a Stonehouse emergency plan.