Plan to evacuate Chippy said to be a ‘scandalous waste of money’ (From Cotswold Journal)

Plan to evacuate Chippy said to be a ‘scandalous waste of money’

7:50am Thursday 9th December 2010 in Past

The evacuation of 800 Chipping Norton people – a fifth of the population – in a Civil Defence exercise next May was criticised at a meeting of the town council 50 years ago by Coun F G Jarvis.

The plan was “absolutely ridiculous and a scandalous waste of money,” he said.

The Journal of 1960 reported: “Chipping Norton is considered by the Civic Defence authorities to be the most suitably placed town in the area for the exercise, according to the report of the finance committee.

“Residents in areas presumed to have been contaminated by radio-active fall-out would have to be prepared to leave the town for five-and-a-half hours between 10am and 3.30pm.

“They would be fed and temporarily housed in rest centres.

“The committee recommended that the exercise should have the council’s agreement and support.

“Coun Jarvis said he realised that the exercise would be carried out on a voluntary basis, but the expense involved would be colossal.

“From the general feeling he had received he thought the organisers would be lucky to get 80 volunteers.

“He was concerned about the possibility of petty thieving when so many people left their houses. Extra police would be needed to keep watch on property.

“A proposal by Coun Jarvis that the minute be deleted did not find a seconder, and the committee’s recommendation was adopted.

“Mr K F Scotney, deputy county civil defence officer, said afterwards a personal approach would be made to people and he was confident that he would get the required number of volunteers.”