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Environment- Flooding
- Who Does What
Who Does What
The Two Local Authorities
The two local authorities provide a range of services in relation to flooding including planning control, provision of flood prevention and defence schemes, emergency planning and managing the drainage of roads.
Land Use Development Plan
The Policy team of the Planning Policy and Environment service of Aberdeenshire Council and the City Development service of Aberdeen City Council have responsibility for the preparation of the land use development plan within the North East.
The Development plan consists of the Structure plan (which is prepared jointly by Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Council) and the Local plans (Aberdeenshire Local Plan and Aberdeen City Local Plan). The development plan identifies land for housing, industry and other land uses. It has a key function in making sure development is directed to areas where there is little or no risk of flooding and providing a policy framework for the assessment of risk for individual planning applications.
Development Control
The Development Control teams of both authorities apply development plan policy and assess the flood risk for new developments. They will oppose developments proposed for areas of flood risk to avoid future flooding problems. In order to minimise the risk of flooding they will normally require the use of "sustainable urban drainage systems" in all new developments where practical.
Transportation and Infrastructure
The Roads and Operations sectors of the Transportation and Infrastructure Service within Aberdeenshire Council and the Roads Management division of the Environment and Property section of Aberdeen City Council have responsibilities regarding the management of surface water drainage, particularly from the roads. They also have responsibility for the maintenance of culverted watercourses. These sectors are also principally involved in the design, construction and management of physical flood defences.
Emergency Planning
The two councils also manage the emergency planning function. Officers in the two authorities will bring an emergency plan into operation should there be a major flooding incident.
This plan will coordinate emergency and support services to those affected, including the setting up of reception centres. The Housing services of both authorities have a duty to provide emergency accommodation in the aftermath of such emergencies.
The Insurance Industry
The North East Scotland Flood Liaison and Advice Group (NESFLAG) has worked closely with the insurance industry from the start.
The insurance industry recognises the value of the work of flood appraisal groups and since 1996 has provided support in the form of an expert from the Benfield Hazard Research Centre who attends meetings of NESFLAG and all other flood appraisal groups around Scotland, from the Scottish Borders to Shetland.
He is able to advise on the insurability of development proposals, the latest developments in flood research in the UK and overseas and best practice from other local authorities. He has also provided an "Insurance Template", endorsed by the Association of British Insurers, which gives general guidance on what levels of flood risk are acceptable to insurers at normal terms, and key elements of this template have been adopted by NESFLAG.
The insurance perspective is increasingly important. In 2001, insurers started to introduce premium increases for people living in flood hazard areas on the grounds that it was not considered fair to continue to subsidise their premium from the premiums paid by those living in low risk areas. Premium increases are being introduced gradually over the next few years where the flood risk exceeds the 1 in 200 year event.
From 2003, insurers no longer guarantee to provide flood insurance in all cases, but as a temporary measure, they will try to continue to provide flood insurance where the risk is less than 1 in 75 years. This limited guarantee will last until 2007, to give time for local authorities to provide flood management schemes. For more details, visit the Nature Serve website.
In the meantime, any resident in the NESFLAG area who is having problems with obtaining or renewing flood insurance is welcome to report these to NESFLAG and the group will try to assist. In practice, where there is an active flood appraisal group, local residents rarely have flood insurance problems.
