Borders flood management plans revealed for the next five years

While Hawick's flood defences are not yet complete, it's believed they have saved properties from flooding on several occasions.

With inclement weather becoming more or less the norm these days, plans are in place to decide the next areas that could require flood risk management.

The latest local flood risk management plans for the Borders have been published, covering the period up to 2028.

The Tweed, Solway and Forth Estuary local flood risk management plans (LFRMP) show how flooding will be managed in each area and include potential flood protection projects which could be progressed where funding is made available.

The three plans have been produced by local authorities in line with Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) FRMPs, providing a framework for co-ordinating actions across rivers and catchments to deal with flooding and are taken into account by Scottish Ministers when funding is allocated.

The Tweed plan includes the delivery of the Hawick Flood Protection Scheme to completion and identifies the potential for schemes in Peebles, covering the Tweed and the Eddleston Water, and the Slitrig in Hawick. Flood studies for Bonchester Bridge and Jedburgh are also included.

The council has also contributed to the Solway LFRMP, which covers Newcastleton, and a potential flood scheme for the Liddel Water in Newcastleton is included.

The plans are available from www.scotborders.gov.uk/floodplans.

Councillor Jenny Linehan, SBC’s executive member for environment and transport, said: “The development of these plans, including the identification of potential flood protection schemes, is critical to accessing national funding to help protect our communities most at risk of flooding.

“The schemes already delivered in Selkirk, on the Skiprunning Burn in Jedburgh and at Netherdale in Galashiels have shown the value of investment into flood protection. Despite not yet being complete, the Hawick scheme has on various occasions prevented or minimised flooding in the community too.

“Other communities remain at risk though and we are committed to working with our partners to find solutions in those locations.”