The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act (2009) changed substantially the duties and the apportionment of duties among agencies responsible for flood prevention in Scotland. On December 1st Stirling Flood Prevention Authority and SEPA, along with independent organisation the Scottish Flood Forum, are coming to Callander to explain how the Act is being implemented in the Stirling Council area and what property owners can - and, in some cases, must - do to reduce flood risk.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday December 1st at Callander Primary School and will begin at 7pm, ending at 9pm. All are welcome to attend.
As CECG members are aware, one of our major criticisms of the National Park's Local Development Plan is that its assumptions about flood vulnerability are based on SEPA's Indicative River & Coastal Flood Map (Scotland). As its name suggests, the map was not intended or designed to provide information about the many other causes of water accumulations that affect and combine to affect flood-prone settlements such as Callander. Under the terms of the new Act local flood prevention authorities, i.e. local councils, are tasked with the duty of looking at these issues on a far more detailed level and their statutory powers as advisers and enforcers have been increased.
This is very good news for Callander. Despite severe budget cuts Stirling Council has been working extremely hard to map and analyse flood hot spots in Callander and to work with property owners and partner agencies to address factors contributing to flooding. Stirling is also working closely with Scottish Water to make non-potable water storage, such as Loch Venachar, function more effectively as a buffer in times of heavy rainfall or snow melt.
For the Council's flood prevention officers to be able to carry out their job effectively communities must be prepared to work with them, providing local knowledge as to where floods occur and cooperating with the Council's suggestions as to how to tackle the causes of those floods where problems are located on private land.
Accordingly, we urge all who can make the meeting on Decmber 1st to come and enter into a constructive conversation with the Council and with SEPA. Whatever the problems of the past, it is time for our community to wipe the slate clean and to collaborate with these agencies in tackling the flood risks that have blighted Callander for so long.
Further reading
For further information about the new legislation please follow these links: