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Greater flood protection
26/11/2009
Communities across Scotland are to get greater protection from the increased risk of flooding.
Visiting the Whitesands area of Dumfries, which was hit by floods in recent days, Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham announced new laws requiring national and local bodies to better co-ordinate action to tackle flooding would take effect from today.
The main features of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 are:
- a national assessment of flood risk by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to identify the most vulnerable parts of the country
- co-ordinated flood management plans from SEPA and local authorities, including looking at natural methods such as restoring flood plains
- continued improvements to SEPA's flood warning service
The Act will also, in the coming months, streamline the process for putting in place flood prevention and protection schemes. Scottish Government approval for schemes will no longer be needed if there is local consensus.
Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham said:
"I have seen for myself today the devastating impact that flooding can have. With climate change likely to increase the frequency of floods, we need to do what we can now to prevent flooding occurring as well as having procedures in place to protect communities when it does.
"This landmark legislation, which arrives on the eve of the Copenhagen Summit, represents a huge step forward in the battle against flooding. It flows from European regulations and I am proud that Scotland has led the way by being the first part of the UK to put it on the statute books."
The new legislation is just one of a number of actions taken by the Scottish Government to tackle flooding:
- record levels of funding to local authorities for flood risk management
- £9.8 million for SEPA to improve flood warnings across Scotland, including a new flood warning scheme for the north east
- the Scottish Flood Forum to support and represent those who affected by or at risk from flooding
- new research to identify the best way of relaying flood warnings to the public
Lloyd Austin, RSPB Scotland's Head of Conservation Policy, said:
"We warmly welcome this new legislation - especially its emphasis on sustainable and natural flood management. The restoration of wetlands and natural floodplains has the potential to deliver great environmental improvements, as well as social and economic benefits. We hope that SEPA and local authorities will grasp this opportunity, and that they will be funded to do so."
SEPA Chief Executive, Campbell Gemmell said:
"This legislation will enable us to improve Scotland's resilience to flooding, ensuring that the impacts of flooding do not compromise the quality of life for future generations. SEPA looks forward to being at the centre of this process and to working with our flooding partners in the most sustainable way to achieve the key aim of the legislation - the robust management and overall reduction of flood risk."
Scottish Water Asset Management Director, Geoff Aitkenhead said:
"Scottish Water recognises that climate change may increase the risk of flooding. We welcome the intentions and spirit of the Act and look forward to working in partnership with all stakeholders to mitigate flood risk."
Justin Jacobs, Head of Property, Motor and Liability Team, Association of British Insurers, said:
"We see this as an important step forward in understanding and reducing the risk of flooding, which is essential to ensure that insurers can continue to provide flood insurance at modest premiums to as many property owners as possible."
The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act was passed by Parliament earlier this year and comes into force today. It transposes the EC Floods Directive into national law and streamlines the process by which local authorities prepare flood schemes.
It also places a duty on the Scottish Government, SEPA, Scottish Water and local authorities to better co-ordinate the assessment and management of flood risk. Whereas current policy focuses on river and coastal flooding, the Act covers all sources of flooding, including overloaded sewers.
In addition SEPA will be required to carry out a national assessment of flood risk by 2011, produce new flood risk and hazard maps by 2013 and put in place Scotland's first national flood risk management plan by 2015.
In 2007-08 the Scottish Government increased the amount of money available to local authorities for flood measures to £42 million. Thereafter the funding arrangements changed with the money rolled up into overall funding to local authorities, using the 2007-08 figure of £42 million as a baseline. It is now up to local authorities to decide how best to spend the overall money they receive from the Scottish Government.
Funding is also provided to SEPA to improve flood warnings across Scotland and last week the Scottish Government awarded the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute in Aberdeen £60,000 to look at ways of further improving the way flood warnings are communicated to the public and emergency services.