Opportunity for public to take part in national flood risk consultation
The Highland Council is encouraging individuals and community groups to get involved and take part in an important national consultation which is currently underway on how flood risk management will be carried out over the next 6 years.
The second National Consultation on the Future Management of Flood Risk in Scotland began on the 30th July 2021. For a period of 3 months, until the 31st October 2021, the draft ‘Flood Risk Management Plan’, and ‘Local Flood Risk Management Plan’ for the Highland and Argyll Local Plan District and the Findhorn, Nairn and Speyside Local Plan District will be available to view and comment on.
The flood risk management plan and local flood risk management plan work together to set the short to long term objectives and establish how actions will be delivered to manage the devastating impact of flooding. The plans embed information on climate change to establish the actions required now to adapt to future flood risk and ensure Scotland is resilient to flooding.
These coordinated plans will help The Highland Council and other responsible authorities make the most effective use of shared resources by targeting flood risk areas where the greatest benefit can be realised.
Chair of The Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Trish Robertson is encouraging people to get involved. She said:” It is estimated there are 15,000 homes and businesses are at risk of flooding in the Highland and Argyll Local Plan District. Climate change is projected to increase this number by an estimated 23,000 by the 2080s.
“Flooding has a lasting and devastating effect on individuals and whole communities which is why it is so important we do all we can to plan ahead and try to mitigate the increasing risk of flood events.
“I hope as many people as possible take up this invitation to be involved viewing these plans and contributing their own thoughts and local knowledge to help influence the future of flood risk management in their area.”
Despite the challenges of Covid-19 and the cyber-attack on SEPA systems, every effort has been made by SEPA and responsible Scottish Local Authorities, including Highland Council, to develop the consultation data in collaboration. The constraints of Covid-19 has led to the consultation being delivered in two phases.
Phase one, opened in December 2020 and included a summary of flooding in the local Plan Districts, a description of the Potentially Vulnerable Area (PVA) and identified the localised target areas.
Phase two, opened for responses on 30th July 2021 and will remain open until 31st October 2021.
Phase two builds on the information provided in phase one, and includes:
• objectives and actions for managing flood risk in target areas in each PVA within Local Plan Districts.
• draft implementation information from the local flood risk management plans providing details on how local actions, planned before 2028, may be delivered and coordinated
• information and questions on the Strategic Environmental Assessment carried out for the flood risk management plans.
You can view the documents on the following website
https://consultation.sepa.org.uk/evidence-and-flooding/frmplans/
Responses to the consultation questions can be logged using this website.
Queries on the consultation can be directed to Email: FRMplanning@sepa.org.uk