Question reference: S6W-04901
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 9 December 2021
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Current status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 December 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10494 by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 August 2017, which of the 42 formal flood protection schemes or engineering works are (a) under construction and (b) at the planning or other stage of development, broken down by (i) the expected completion date, including the reason for any date being beyond 2021, (ii) the number of properties that will be protected and (iii) the (A) initial forecast and (B) final expected cost of each.
Answer
The 2015 - 2021 Flood Risk Management Strategies included 42 formal flood protection schemes. Local authorities are expected to start work on development of these schemes by 2021. However as flood protection schemes can have significant impacts on individuals, communities and the environment, and so require careful and detailed planning and consultation, it is recognised that construction work may not be completed within the 2015-2021 timeframe.
Schemes (a) under construction are as follows:
Scheme | (ii) Properties protected | (i) Completion Date | (iii A) Initial cost (£ million) (1) | ( iii B) Estimated final cost (£ million) (2) |
Broughty Ferry | 450 | 2022 | 10.0 | 16.3 |
Upper Garnock | 600 | 2022 | 15.5 | 18.5 |
Kirkintilloch - Park Burn | 70 | Not held | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Hawick | 970 | 2023 | 37.4 | 78.6 |
Drumnadrochit | 24 | Not held | 3.4 | 5.7 |
Stonehaven | 376 | 2023 | 19.9 | 27.5 |
Schemes (b) under development are as follows:
Scheme | Stage | (ii) Properties protected | (iii A) Initial cost (£ million) (1) | ( iii B) Estimated Final Cost of Scheme (2) |
Kilmacolm – Glenmosston Burn | Confirmed (3) | Not held | 0.5 | 0.5 |
Comrie | Confirmed (3) | 200 | 15.7 | 28.4 |
Millport Coastal | Confirmed (3) | 657 | 12.1 | 27.5 |
Campbeltown | Confirmed (3) | 770 | 9.3 | 10.6 |
Arbroath | Confirmed (3) | 530 | 11.4 | 13.5 |
Caol and Lochyside | Confirmed (3) | 296 | 8.4 | 15.7 |
Dumbarton - Gruggies Burn | Confirmed (3) | 370 | 14.5 | 20.0 |
Quarrier’s Village | Confirmed (3) | 60 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
Dumfries - Whitesands | Confirmed (3) | 166 | 18.9 | 30.8 |
Water of Leith (Coltbridge, Gorgie, Saughton) Phase 3 | Confirmed (3) | 75 | Not held | Not held |
Mill Burn Millport | Confirmed (3) | 124 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
Grangemouth FPS | Under development | 2980 | 111.5 | 420 (4) |
St Andrews - Kinness Burn | Under development | 133 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
Musselburgh | Under development | 2500 | 8.9 | 42.1 |
South Fords | Under development | 58 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
Milnathort | Under development | 79 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
Stranraer | Under development | 350 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
Langholm | Under development | 200 | 2.0 | 9.9 |
Newton Stewart/ River Cree | Under development | 270 | 7.5 | 12.5 |
South Kinross | Under development | Not held | 3.2 | 3.8 |
Scone | Under development | 44 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
Bridge of Allan | Under development | Not held | 4.4 | 5.8 |
Haddington | Under development | 320 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
Stirling | Under development | 810 | 26.2 | 42.6 |
Callander | Under development | 30 | 2.4 | 4.7 |
(1) Note: Initial costs as provided by local authorities in 2016-17.
(2) Note: Final Scheme costs are the latest estimates provided by local authorities. Differences between these latest estimates and initial cost estimates arise because flood protection schemes are put forward for prioritisation at various stages of their development to fit with Flood Risk Management Planning cycle set out in the FRM Act. Costs are revised over time as designs are finalised and more detailed investigations are carried out (e.g. site investigation, utility investigation, hydraulic modelling), and as new information emerges (e.g. new flood mapping, climate projections, new source of risk, landownership challenges). Outcomes from community engagement and changes to price and supply of materials may also require revisions to cost estimates.
Schemes will only be taken forward for construction if they receive the necessary statutory and regulatory approvals (e.g. Confirmation under the FRM Act (2009), Planning Permission, Licensing under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) Regulations (2011)) so the expected completion date is not yet known.
More detailed information on each of the schemes can be obtained from the relevant Local Authorities whose responsibility it is to develop and deliver flood protection schemes and who are best placed to answer specific questions on each of the schemes.
The Scottish Government guarantees £42m a year to flood risk management through the general capital grant and has committed to an additional £150 m over the next 5 years. This is a 70% increase to the flood risk management budget.
Local Authorities may also provide additional funding from their own budgets or seek funding from other sources, for example the private sector.
(3) Note: Formally confirmed under Flood Risk Management Act (2009).
(4) Note: The reasons for cost variations set out in Note 2 also apply to Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme. The presence of critical national infrastructure (port, refinery and fuel distribution) and the scale of the overall project (27km of defences) means that the variation may be larger than other flood protection schemes.