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Flood defences for the Knowle Burn
30/06/2009
A £3 million flood prevention scheme for West Dunbartonshire has been confirmed following the recommendations of a public inquiry.
Minister for Environment, Roseanna Cunningham today announced that Knowle Burn Flood Prevention Scheme 2007 had been confirmed.
Ms Cunningham said:
"Flooding is a serious issue and it is vital that we have adequate protective and preventative measures in place. Not only can flooding seriously impact upon our natural environment it can also destroy businesses and even leave people homeless.
"The decision to confirm the Knowle Burn Flood Prevention Scheme without modification was made only after objections and evidence presented at the Public Inquiry had been carefully considered.
"Following the Reporter's findings and recommendations it was concluded that the Scheme fulfilled the vital criteria in being technically sound, sympathetic to the environment, and crucially, would provide local people with a level of protection delivering value for money over the life of the Scheme.
"Originally promoted by West Dunbartonshire Council to reduce flooding risk to 69 properties in Dumbarton, the local authority will now take forward the scheme to construction."
Given the past history of flooding in Dumbarton from the Knowle Burn, West Dunbartonshire Council commissioned studies between 2001 and 2004 to develop a flood prevention scheme to mitigate flooding of 69 residential and other properties from the Knowle Burn, and consulted widely during its development of the proposed Scheme.
Objections to confirmation of the Scheme which were made and not withdrawn were considered at a public local Inquiry, held at the Burgh Hall, Dumbarton on 3 February 2009 by the Reporter, Mr Michael Cunliffe BSc(Hons) MSc MCIWEM. The Reporter recommended that the Scheme be confirmed without modification.
The £3 million scheme, comprising a 15,000m3 flood storage pond with inlet & outlet control structures near Garshake Road with a series of downstream channel improvements and flood embankments between Round Robin Road and Broomfauld Gardens, was granted planning consent in January 2009.
Funding for flood prevention is no longer ring-fenced. The Scottish Government instead took into account West Dunbartonshire Council's likely expenditure on the Knowle Burn scheme when setting the Council's general capital grant. It is each local authority's responsibility to allocate the financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities in line with the current settlement agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).