‘Exercise Cape’ taking place in Bentley Heath on Sunday

Residents in Bentley Heath and motorists driving through the area are being warned to expect disruption on Sunday 6th March as the level crossing on Mill Lane will be closed between 8am and 4pm.

Train services passing through Dorridge Station will be unaffected.

Organised by Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire councils’ emergency planning team, the road closure is part of an emergency planning exercise called ‘Exercise Cape’ – which aims to test how the various emergency services respond to a serious incident.

Exercise Cape will involve volunteer ‘victims’ to test the emergency response as if it were a real incident.

You may see ‘injured’ volunteers being put into ambulances and other emergency vehicles – but can be reassured any injuries will be fake!

The Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull Emergency Planning Team undertake events such as Sunday’s Exercise Cape in order to make sure the emergency plans work, that staff are given experience of carrying out the plans using a practical example and equipment is tested in a real-world situation.

Motorists will be re-directed along Widney Road and Four Ashes Road once the closure of Mill Lane, between the junctions of Slater Road and Winster Avenue, is in force.

Exercise Cape will take place on a siding and will not affect train passengers or the normal Sunday train service – although the level crossing will be involved in the exercise, hence the road closure.