Mayhem stemming from a recent religious festival in Oakham is promoting the town council to consider how it deals with 'emergencies.'

Last month, thousands of people turned up for the event at Rutland Showground, with participants accused of causing a range of disturbances, with locals likening scenes to the film Max Max, as reports on the event made national headlines.

A number of arrests were made, town businesses closed, and meetings took places involving Rutland County Council, Oakham Town Council, and Rutland MP Alicia Kearns, amid others. The showground issued an apology over the event following an uproar from Rutland residents, as previously reported by Nub News.

Now, Oakham town councillor Adrian Orchard is calling on the council to create an emergency response policy to help the town council grapple with such events and other emergencies.

The issue has been placed on the agenda of the next 'full' meeting of Oakham Town Council [OTC] when it meets this coming Wednesday, July 14 at 6.30pm.

Coun Orchard said: "Events at the Rutland Showground over the period 20-26th of June 2021 highlighted shortfalls in OTC policy for responding to unplanned events or natural disasters."

Oakham Town Council, he continued, "has a central role to play in developing and participating in all aspects of life in the town. It is a community leader, advocate and representative body."

The town council has procedures to be accountable to the public, but "certain unplanned events or natural disasters may occur that demand a level of OTC discussion, debate and possibly a response that cannot wait until a next Council meeting- OTC needs to demonstrate leadership and sense of being in control at a time when the public will look to those in public office for reassurance."

Such events would include extreme weather, like flooding or blizzards, but also times of public violence and anti-social behaviour over a period of time.

"This is subjective but the example of the Rutland Showground is an example of both scale and time that acts as a trigger event," Coun Orchard explained.

"Events of 20-26th of June 2021 saw understandably cautious OTC e-mail reactions to the rapidly evolving and volatile situation at the Rutland Showground become conflated with a perceived need to discuss the viability of holding the OTC band concert event on the 27th of June."

"In most scenarios, the OTC response is likely to be one of communication, acknowledging any situation and signposting residents to those agencies who have the lead. The local resilience forum, emergency service websites and RCC are some of the sources to offer.

"Specific cases, such as where OTC property is involved, or where OTC staff or councillors are involved, may demand more direct action and these scenarios should be considered ahead of time."

An official with responsibilities for emergency response would be appointed, along with a deputy, who would be expected over time to build relationships with "all agencies that deal with policing, emergency scenarios and natural disaster events in order to be best informed and prepare responses."

The town chair or mayor could then terminate further discussions once the town council had reached an official position.

"A record of all e-mail traffic is to be kept and made available for review at the Council Chambers head of the next full council meeting, and the trigger event be discussed by Council in order to finalise any points of concern and to learn lessons from the event," Coun Orchard also proposed.