Bottled water firm pays out for work to protect premises against f loods

Highland Spring has said it has paid for “significant flood defences” over the years and is committed to protecting the business, catchment area and the wider community – where possible – from flood risk.

It comes after a councillor queried if public money was effectively being used to fund a flood protection scheme for the bottled water company.

SNP councillor Jack Welch asked the question as a council committee approved proposals for a flood protection scheme in Blackford.

The recommendations were approved by Perth and Kinross Council’s climate change and sustainability committee on November 16.

At last week’s meeting Strathmore ward councillor Jack Welch said: “My understanding is there has been some capital works being spent effectively to prevent flooding associated with the Blackford Highland Spring plant.

“Ultimately they are a significant landowner – effectively catchment in that immediate area. They can, I guess, perform flood mitigation measures on their own land so it seems a bit odd these things aren’t approached in tandem.

“Is it the public purse that is providing flood mitigation measures for a private company? Yet that company could provide mitigation measures in their own right?”

Perth and Kinross Council’s interim flooding manager Peter Dickson said there was a community approach that could benefit residents, businesses and other organisations indiscriminately.

He added: “There is that question, and it’s a good question, for those companies and businesses who are well able to do something themselves.

“We’d certainly encourage Highland Spring to protect their assets. One thing we often do – and we can’t force it – is ask for a contribution to our flood scheme from a business or a big landowner who will definitely benefit from it.”

Flooding technician Gavin Bissett added: “We did speak to Highland Spring throughout the study and had very highlevel initial discussions about if they could take things forward.

“They seemed quite keen, they might want to take things forward themselves and are keen to get their hands on reports so they can consider our study and how that may interact with our own plans.

“They have undertaken works to defend their own site.”

Mr Bissett said there were “wider projects off-line from our scheme going forward currently as well”.

After the meeting, a spokesperson for Highland Spring told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Highland Spring Group are committed to environmental sustainability and protecting our business, catchment area and the

wider community, where possible, from the risk of any flooding.

“We have worked hard over many years to put in place significant flood defences across our site and land, paid for solely by the business.

“We have supported Perth and Kinross Council with data required for their flood modelling study and await further details on the final proposals.”

Ask for a contribution to our flood scheme

FLOOD DEFENCES: Highland Spring’s buildings in Blackford which have the Allan Water, a tributary of the River Forth, running very close by.