Call for funding to halt flooding
Flash flooding in the summer has highlighted the need to complete safety measures in Broxburn, West Lothian Council’s Environment PDSP has been told.
But a flood risk manager warned the council does have the funds to meet the increasing threat posed by climate change.
A report to councillors by Graeme Hedger, senior engineer flood risk management, said existing engineering and monitoring work had not been enough to cope with the flood on August 27, but it proved that active management of flood prevention could point to ways to prevent future issues.
Mr Hedger’s report highlighted: “The accuracy of the data also allowed independent consultants to clearly demonstrate that the measures currently subject to outline design to reduce the risk of flooding at Pyothall Court and Nicol Road would be sufficient to reduce future risk to the properties.”
An intense rainfall onto already saturated ground hit 21 properties. Homes were inundated from flood water, which rose from the Liggat Syke, a tributary of the Brox Burn, immediately upstream of the Union Canal. The total cost of internal damages was estimated at between £360,000 and £765,000.
His report added: “It is now considered essential that work on outline design is quickly resumed. The recommendations
regarding culverts in Nicol Road should be included in a revised scope of work and a revised programme prepared from outline design to construction and brought forward for early consideration by the panel and for subsequent approval by the Council Executive.”
Councillor Diane Calder, said there had also been flooding at other areas including Birdsmill and Drumshoreland. “It was so bad that vehicles could not get up Almondell Road. I wanted to ask would these areas be included in the measures going forward.”
Mr Hedger said they wouldn’t because the scheme planned was the final part of the Broxburn flood prevention scheme which had been ongoing for several years to control water from the Ligget Syke.
The council has had to tackle flooding and increasing surface water from Blackridge to Winchburgh. Many roads have been rendered impassable by run off rather than flooding.
Councillor Calder asked whether plans to deal with other areas would be looked at in future cycles of the flood management proposals. Mr Hedger said what goes into the plans was what the council could obtain government funding for. He added: “We are not funded to deal with scale of the problems that we have got.”
The council had won funding for flood prevention work from the Scottish Government but this was later pulled back by Holyrood. Council officers believe this was because their application fell between two different pieces of flood prevention legislation and the Scottish Government thought it had already funded the work. A new bid now has had to be drawn up and this adds to the time to formulate proposals and carry out the work.