Consultation Launch
This information appeared during the Consultation Period: February 13, 2008 - April 25, 2008
The First Minister announced on September 5, 2007 that the Scottish Government would introduce a Flooding Bill in 2008 to modernise the flood risk management system in Scotland.
As part of this process the Consultation Document "The Future of Flood Risk Management in Scotland " was published on February 13, 2008, and responses to the specific questions in this Consultation are welcomed, as are any other general comments. The closing date for responses is April 23, 2008.
The Scottish Government has one, clear purpose: to focus the Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. It is extremely important, therefore, to manage the risks associated with flooding, which can devastate lives, communities, property and the environment.
The proposals we have set out in this consultation paper are designed to establish a framework within which sustainable flood risk management in Scotland will operate more effectively than at present. They will ensure that there is no duplication of effort, and that the flood risk management process is simplified and better co-ordinated. Local authorities, who are accountable to local communities, and best able to judge the needs of their areas, will continue to be responsible for implementing flood alleviation measures. However, individual local authorities cannot operate in isolation. Our proposals will establish a way of co-ordinating catchment flood management planning to ensure a national approach, delivered locally.
We welcome your views on these proposals and hope that you will take this opportunity to consider what is best for the future of flood risk management in Scotland.
(This information included the Consultation paper.)
Consultation - The Future of Flood Risk Management in Scotland - Town Hall Meetings
This information appeared during the Consultation Period : February 13, 2008 - April 25, 2008
In conjunction with the Flooding Bill Consultation, a series of Town Hall Meetings were held to hear views on a local level.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment, Mr Richard Lochhead, attended the first meeting at Rothes, while the Minister for Environment, Mr Michael Russell, attended the meetings at Dumfries, Perth and Newmilns. A further meeting was held in Newton Stewart.
These meetings provided open debate and an opportunity to discuss the Consultation, "The Future of Flood Risk Management in Scotland."
Synopses of comments raised at these meetings:
Update on the Consultation - The Future of Flood Risk Management in Scotland
This information appeared during the Consultation Period : February 13, 2008 - April 25, 2008
The Consultation, "The Future of Flood Risk Management in Scotland" ended on April 25, 2008. In conjunction with this, five Town Hall Meetings were also held throughout Scotland.
The results of this broad Consultation were analysed and the individual responses are available to view at the Scottish Parliament Library. See also:
Report on Consultation - The Future of Flood Risk Management in Scotland
The Scottish Government wishes to thank all those who took time to give their considered response to the Consultation. These responses will help to ensure a Bill which will be robust and well balanced, giving Scotland a framework within which sustainable flood risk management will operate more effectively than at present.
A Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Consultation has also been prepared: Strategic Environmental Assessment
Town Hall Meetings
More information, including a record of the comments made at the Town Hall Meetings: Town Hall Meetings
Flooding Issues Advisory Committee Final Report Publication, September 20, 2007
The final report of the Flooding Issues Advisory Committee (FIAC) calls for key organisations to work together to ensure communities are fully equipped to tackle the increased threat from flooding.
Commenting on the report ahead of a Parliamentary debate on flooding, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead said:
"I would like to thank the members of FIAC and its sib-committees for their work in producing this report. FIAC was an excellent example of stakeholders working together to reach consensus on difficult issues such as tackling flooding.
"Scotland cannot ignore the threat which climate change brings in increasing the occurrence of wet, stormy weather and we must act now to protect ourselves from that threat. The Scottish Government is committed to tackling this growing danger.
"The flooding summit held in Perth last week demonstrated unanimous support for a fresh approach to flood management. Key to this is de-cluttering the process and establishing a framework to enable all organisations to work together effectively to deliver flood risk management for the 21st century.
"Some of the suggestions in the FIAC report, such as developing a more sustainable approach to flood management, have already been adopted by the Scottish Government whilst other recommendations will require further discussion.
"I will consider the report's findings along with Ministerial colleagues during the course of today's Parliamentary debate and in developing a new Flooding Bill for Scotland."
The report calls for stakeholders to work together to ensure that a more strategic, catchment level approach is taken when considering flood alleviation options.
It also made a number of specific recommendations including:
- Setting up a forum in Scotland to help people and communities become more proactive through better awareness of flood risk and preparedness for flooding;
- The Scottish Government should pursue the possibility of an individual property grant scheme in Scotland;
- Further detailed work to link catchment strategic planning and the River Basin Management Planning process should be carried out and the outcomes addressed in a public consultation on new flooding legislation;
- Reducing the risk of flood damage should be an objective of rural policy in Scotland and the Scottish Government should seek to promote rural land use solutions as part of its strategy for flood risk management and;
- A forum, similar to FIAC, should be set up to continue to advise the Scottish Government on flooding matters.
The FIAC final report gives information on the work of the Flooding Issues Advisory Committee.
The Scottish Flood Defence Asset Database
Detailed information and data on the 72 Flood Prevention Schemes constructed since the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 is now available via the web with the launch of the Scottish Flood Defence Asset Database Flood prevention practitioners and other professionals engaged in flood mitigation and prevention now have a resource that:
- Provides an electronic database of river and coastal flood prevention schemes and provides a GIS interface to this data.
- Surveys and details in outline the main dimensions and form of the defences used in each flood prevention scheme.
- Records the condition of the defences
- Shows the area benefiting from defences
- Defines defended and un-defended areas to a design standard of 100 years
- Establishes the current standard of protection
A detailed report outlining the methods employed to construct SFDAD and the main findings are available, as is a detailed user manual. These contain specific information on schemes with full detail contained in the database. Public access to details on a specific flood prevention schemes, are available by contacting the local authority responsible for the area where the scheme is located.
Impact of Flooding in Scotland
Following the publication of the SEPA Indicative River and Coastal Flood Map (2006) and The Scottish Flood Defence Asset Database, the data to undertake an update of the properties at a 0.5 per cent risk of flooding for rivers and the coast in Scotland, was available. This analysis would be more robust and enable greater accuracy than previous estimates based upon a first approximation of this figure. A report and maps which outline the findings is available and illustrates that of the estimated 2.5 million properties in Scotland, 2.9 per cent are located within a flood zone at risk of flooding 1 in 200 years or 0.5 per cent probability. This represents some 73,000 properties at risk of fluvial flooding and 26,000 properties in the coastal flood zone: a total of 99,000 properties.
This information will greatly assist local authorities in presenting the picture of flood risk in their areas to residents, and is likely to form the basis of subsequent geographic studies into infrastructure at risk and other specific population groups.
Flooding Summit, September 10, 2007
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead, invited local authorities and other stakeholders to a Flooding Summit held on September 10, 2007 at the Queen's Hotel in Perth. The event was also attended by the Minister for Environment, Michael Russell, and the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson.
The Summit enabled an open discussion of the challenges facing Scotland as it moves towards a more sustainable approach to flood risk management. It signaled the start of a wide ranging consultation process on the Executive's proposals for amending the current flooding legislation, which is widely acknowledged to be outdated and inflexible.
The Flooding Summit Papers including the presentations from speakers such as SEPA, the Association of British Insurers, Scottish Water and the Forestry Commission Scotland are now available.