Highland flood risk areas

August 7, 2011 · Filed Under Development, Inverness, Property 

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Thanks to Cathy Stafford at the APT for highlighting a response from SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency):

Flooding in Scotland: A Consultation on Potentially Vulnerable Areas and Local Plan Districts

3. Are there areas NOT identified as Potentially Vulnerable Areas following this assessment that you believe should be designated as at significant risk of flooding

Yes.

There are a number of areas in Highland that are subject to flooding on a fairly regular basis and it is considered that they should be included as PVAs with high risk status. These are:

• Dingwall and Conon
• Smithton, Culloden and Balloch, significant dormitory suburbs to the east of Inverness
• Kingussie which included the Secondary School
• Thurso

These are all areas where frequent flooding occurs to property. It may be that since the assessment is only dealing with larger river catchments these have not been picked up. The flooding occurs is pluvial or arises from small water catchments. Even the area to the south of Inverness where there is a major flood scheme under construction encompassing a large number of small burns does not seem to be included within the PVA status. There may therefore be an issue with the national assessment process and if this is the case there may be a need for review to pick up these areas. Especially if it is to be used for directing resources to the most high risk areas.

It’s quite surprising that the Highland Council has been pushing on expanding Inverness eastwards, and yet seem to have failed to realise that that are serious and repeated flooding issues to be addressed.

What is additionally surprising is that Smithton, Culloden and Balloch are considered to be areas where “frequent flooding occurs to property”.

I wonder how many people are made aware of these issues when buying property in these areas?

Comments

3 Responses to “Highland flood risk areas”

  1. nairnbairn on August 7th, 2011 11:46 pm

    I wonder whether – in rightly pointing out that the Smithton, Balloch, Culloden areas are vulnerable to flooding – the Highland Council recognises that their own development-planning is largely culpable.

    Both the A96 below Balloch, and the access road to those suburbs, were seriously flooded today. The access road was closed and impassable.

    This is largely because (“as any fule kno”) paving over the hillsides and building the houses, roads and driveways of suburban dormitory developments massively reduces the absorptive capacity of the terrain and increases the volume of run-off to a level which existing watercourses and drainage cannot contain. That’s why the water floods down through the housing estates, into the fields and on to the roads.

    If the Council wishes to reduce flood risk, rather than sending comments to SEPA, they should ensure their own development planning is more competent.

    As Joni Mitchell (didn’t) sing, “They paved Paradise, and put up a parking lot…. which flooded”.

  2. Brian Turner on August 8th, 2011 12:03 pm

    The BBC covers some of the weekend’s flooding issues here:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14442831

  3. Cathy Stafford on August 8th, 2011 6:52 pm

    Hi Brian

    Thanks for highlighting the post. The response is actually from the Council to SEPA.

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