Agenda item

Report by Service Director Assets and Infrastructure.  (Copy attached.)

With reference to paragraph 7 of the Minute of 19 May 2016, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Service Director Assets and Infrastructure seeking approval of the findings and recommendations of the Borders Flood Studies for the purpose of submitting the appropriate information for future flood schemes in the Scottish Borders at Newcastleton, Peebles, Broughton, Crowbyres (Hawick) & Lindean (Selkirk) to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for inclusion in the National Prioritisation Process 2022–2028. The report explained that the inception of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 (FRM Act) required the production of Local Flood Risk Management Plans covering each Local Plan District (LPD) in Scotland on a cyclic 6 yearly basis, namely 2016–2022, 2022–2028 & 2028–2034.  Scottish Borders Council’s area fell within 3 of the 14 Local Plan Districts in Scotland.  These were Forth Estuary LPD, Tweed LPD and Solway LPD.  There were two sets of complementary plans; Flood Risk Management Strategies which were developed by SEPA and approved by Scottish Ministers and Local Flood Risk Management Plans produced by Lead Authorities.  Scottish Borders Council was the Lead Authority for the Tweed Local Plan District.  The Flood Risk Management Strategies and Local Flood Risk Management Plans were developed through collaborative partnerships between Local Authorities, SEPA and Scottish Water.  The Flood Risk Management Strategies and Local Flood Risk Management Plans provided a framework for co-ordinating actions across catchments to deal with all sources of flooding.  These plans ensured long term planning around flooding and under Section 41(2) of the FRM Act, Scottish Ministers must take them into account when allocating funding.  This approach helped target investment to areas where there was the greatest risk of flooding and where communities could receive the greatest benefit.  The Local Flood Risk Management Plans took the objectives and actions identified in the Flood Risk Management Strategies and set out who would be responsible for delivering the action, how the action would be funded, a timetable for when the action would be delivered and how it would be co-ordinated within the Flood Risk Management Cycle.  The National Prioritisation Process formed part of the development of the Flood Risk Management Strategies and Local Flood Risk Management Plans.  The prioritisation process assessed all flood risk management actions (i.e. flood studies, flood schemes etc.) against a set of criteria to provide a rank at a national level.  Approval was required to allow Council officers to submit the appropriate information to SEPA in December 2019 for the National Prioritisation Exercise of future flood protections schemes to be delivered in the next Flood Risk Management Planning (FRM) Cycle 2022–2028.  Once a national ranking had been given this would inform the Council what flood protection schemes could be delivered in the Flood Risk Management Cycle 2022 – 2028.  Dependant on the budget allocation at a national level, the top ranked schemes would get first priority on the funding pot.  Councillor Bell commented on the situation in Innerleithen and moved the following amendment to add an additional recommendation:-

“continuing engagement of the Flood & Coastal Management team with community bodies in Innerleithen as they elaborate new multi-year maintenance and catchment plans (consistent with objectives and actions of the Tweed Flood Risk Management [FRM]Strategy and the Tweed Local FRM Plan) in order to encourage awareness and resilience.”

Councillor Tatler seconded the Motion and Members unanimously agreed to accept this amendment.  Members also thanked officers for their engagement with Community Councils in the relevant areas.

DECISION

AGREED:-

(a)     to approve the submission of information to SEPA for the National Prioritisation Exercise 2022–2028 for consideration of a flood protection scheme in:-

            (i)         Peebles;

            (ii)        Newcastleton;

            (iii)       Broughton;

            (iv)       Crowbyres (Hawick)

            (v)        Lindean (Selkirk); and

(b)     continuing engagement of the Flood & Coastal Management team with community bodies in Innerleithen as they elaborate new multi-year maintenance and catchment plans (consistent with objectives and actions of the Tweed Flood Risk Management [FRM]Strategy and the Tweed Local FRM Plan) in order to encourage awareness and resilience.

MEMBER

Councillor Rowley joined the meeting.