Supporting Gateshead Council

The Client

Gateshead Council is the local government authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. The council is based at Gateshead Civic Centre and is responsible for delivering a wide range of essential services to the community, including housing, emergency planning, and resilience efforts.

The Challenge

In June 2025, Gateshead Council faced an unprecedented emergency situation. The Priory Court building in Gateshead was severely affected by major flooding, leaving up to 60 residents displaced and unable to return home. The council needed to ensure the continued safety, comfort, and care of those affected.

The immediate challenge was to secure and manage emergency hotel accommodation for a fluctuating number of displaced residents while facilitating essential transportation support for the duration of the crisis. With the urgency and scale of the emergency, the need for a responsive and reliable service provider was critical.

The Solution

CMAC Group have successfully been supporting Gateshead Council with numerous emergency invocations since 2018 and were called upon once again to invoke the councils Business Continuity Transport (BTC) plan - coordinating seamless support throughout the emergency. CMAC’s role was to manage the emergency accommodation and transportation logistics to ensure that affected residents were housed comfortably and transported quickly and safely.

CMAC turned crisis in to calm by facilitating:

• Accommodation solutions: CMAC quickly secured 32 rooms at local hotels, accommodating up to 60 residents initially. The number of residents fluctuated over the course of the operation, and CMAC adjusted the accommodation to ensure exceptional service for 45 residents for over a month. Rooms provided included a mix of singles, doubles, family rooms, and accessible rooms - all including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. CMAC worked tirelessly with the hotel to further extend the support - providing a laundry service for long-stay guests to ensure maximum comfort.

• Transport Solutions: CMAC called upon their trusted network of supply partners to facilitate a total of 89 emergency journeys linked with the flooding - including taxis and wheelchair adapted vehicles - to transport residents from the council’s rest centre to the hotels and back. Additionally, CMAC arranged transport for residents who needed to return to their homes to retrieve personal belongings, with safety officers ensuring secure, safe visits.

• Ongoing Support: Throughout the invocation, CMAC maintained close communication with the council’s key contacts, ensuring a coordinated approach to the emergency response. The 24/7/365 service desk ensured that all requirements were met promptly, with calls answered within 30 seconds and requirements confirmed within 30 minutes.

Thanks to CMAC’s quick and efficient response, Gateshead Council was able to effectively manage the crisis, providing residents with the necessary accommodation, transport, and comfort during a difficult and uncertain time. CMAC’s dedication to excellence in service delivery ensured the continued safety and well-being of the displaced residents, allowing the council to focus on longer-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.