This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Initial funding for Western Isles storm recovery
28/07/2005
A significant package of financial support is being provided to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) following the storm which hit the area in January.
The Comhairle will receive an initial £5 million from the Executive:
- £4.5 million for roads infrastructure
- around £410,000 under the Bellwin Scheme
- £80,000 of civil contingency funding
In addition, the Executive has accepted the case for rebuilding Balivanich Primary School on a new site further back from the shore. Discussions are continuing with the Comhairle on the likely cost and how the government will contribute to this.
Minister for Finance and Public Services Tom McCabe said:
"There is no doubt that the storms which hit the Western Isles in January had a devastating effect on the area. When the First Minister visited South Uist and Benbecula to see the damage first-hand and meet local people, he pledged that we would contribute to the repair bill.
"This initial funding package - which amounts to around £5 million - is the Executive honouring that pledge.
"The major element of this funding will enable work to go ahead on immediate repair work, and improvements to cope with future storms, to the Eriskay Breakwater and the North Ford Causeway which are two vital parts of the local roads and transport infrastructure.
"It will also enable the purchase of a new mobile command vehicle and mobile communication equipment which the Comhairle had identified as a priority area for its emergency planning.
"The funding provided under the Bellwin Scheme will reimburse the Comhairle for the considerable repair costs it incurred in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
"The Comhairle know best what the specific and localised needs of the community are following the storm. This significant funding package will allow the Comhairle to progress much of the work it has identified as necessary and to make an immediate start this year.
"While I know that the local community in South Uist and Benbecula has been anxious to get as much as possible done before the coming winter, it was important to plan properly for the work and to assess its impact.
"We will, of course, continue to keep in touch with the Comhairle. Discussions will continue about the new Balivanich Primary School and I hope to visit the Western Isles in the near future."
While the repair to the local roads and transport infrastructure is normally the responsibility of the council (including damage caused by storms and adverse weather), the Executive is aware of the exceptionally severe nature of the January storms and the consequent damage to strategic important transport links in the Western Isles. In view of this, it has exceptionally committed substantial additional funding of £4.5 million to meet the expected costs of the improvement of the North Ford Causeway, the repair of the breakwater at Ceann a Gharaidh on Eriskay to improve these links, as well as contributing to a number of related projects.
The Bellwin Scheme exists to give special financial assistance to authorities who would otherwise be faced with an undue financial burden as a result of providing relief and carrying out immediate work due to large-scale emergencies. Under the terms of the Scheme, the Comhairle will receive an initial amount of £368,000 with the balance (expected to be around £40,000) due at the end of the year once the Comhairle has submitted a finally audited claim.
The civil contingencies division of the Executive is contributing £80,000 towards a mobile command vehicle and mobile communications equipment. The storms in the Western Isles in January highlighted the vulnerability of the Comhairle's emergency communications equipment. The collapse of a mobile mast early in the storm hampered the emergency response. Emergency communications was highlighted by the Comhairle as a priority area for improvement across the emergency planning community.