Minister praises flooding scheme
THE ongoing flood protection scheme in Selkirk has been highlighted as best practice by the Scottish Government’s environment and climate change minister during Climate Week.
Ahead of an “extreme weather” summit in Edinburgh last Monday, Paul Wheelhouse said: “The 2009 Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act empowers local authorities and partners to design and deliver flood protection schemes that best suit the needs of their communities in a timely fashion.
“Selkirk’s innovative approach fully embraces the act, and will deliver a flood protection scheme that will offer multiple benefits to the community as a whole.
“I am delighted we can now address a key issue I know concerns the people of Selkirk and the Yarrow Valley.”
He added: “Today we’re hosting an extreme weather summit with key stakeholders to discuss how we can work together to better prepare for unpredictable weather events and mitigate against the impact of climate change.”
In August 2012, the Selkirk Flood Protection Scheme became the first major flood protection scheme with an environmental statement to be approved under the new act.
Scottish Borders Council, as project managers, and Halcrow Group Limited, design consultants, have advanced the scheme’s design through extensive consultation from day one, which meant it was approved without the need for a public inquiry.
Conor Price, project manager, said: “The approach, from the beginning, was to engage with the key stakeholders and the community to ensure that the chosen scheme was not only robust and functional, but something that the people of Selkirk supported and could be proud of.”
The project team is currently undertaking the detailed design stage of the scheme, which it is anticipated will take a further 12 to 15 months to complete.
It is estimated that construction will start in mid-2014 and will last approximately two years.
The scheme will remove 700 properties from the national flood risk register.
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Weather for Selkirk
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 3 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: North east
