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Bo'ness flood prevention
12/11/2007
Homes and businesses in Bo'ness will benefit from improved flood protection through a scheme which will receive Scottish Government funding of £3.6 million, it was announced today.
Minister for Environment Michael Russell said: "I am delighted to announce £3.6 million funding to Falkirk Council towards constructing the flood prevention scheme for Bo'ness foreshore. This will protect more than 270 homes and businesses at risk from tidal flooding.
"We cannot prevent flooding, but we must protect lives and property and prepare for floods by increasing our resilience.
"This funding will enable Falkirk Council to award the construction contract to take work forward along the foreshore from Kinniel to Carriden. This will help to protect the town centre from the threat of tidal floods.
"This scheme will provide both a high level of protection and value for money - without this scheme, flood damage could potentially cost £33 million over 50 years.
"The Scottish Government is committed to protecting vulnerable communities from the threat of flooding, by supporting local authorities' efforts to reduce flood risk."
Bo'ness has a history of tidal flooding from the Forth estuary and a study commissioned by Falkirk Council to assess the risk found that the current defences, where existing, provided protection up to a maximum of a one in five year tidal event. The new scheme will reduce the risk of tidal flooding of industrial developments and 269 residential properties to less than one per cent, taking into account the likely impacts of climate change over the lifetime of the scheme.
The £3.6 million funding awarded by the Scottish Government to Falkirk Council for the Bo'ness scheme will support construction works, which will be carried out in stages to avoid disturbance to the adjacent Firth of Forth Special Protection Area. This will raise defences to provide continuous barriers along the foreshore between Kinniel in the west to Bo'ness harbour and from there to Carriden at the east end of the town.
The Scottish Government has made £42 million of grant funding available to local authorities in 2007/08 to support flood and coastal protection schemes. Confirmed schemes which meet the Government's technical, environmental and economic criteria are eligible for 80 per cent grant support. The Scottish Government has agreed to provide the £3.6 million announced today to Falkirk Council to meet the planned expenditure as construction progresses in stages, due for completion in May 2010.
Under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 any works, other than maintenance or repair, can only be carried out as a flood prevention scheme promoted by a Council and confirmed by Scottish Ministers. The Scottish Government confirmed the Bo'ness scheme in August 2007.