Scottish Borders Council: Significant Progress on Flood Schemes

Almost one year on since the first of a series of significant winter storms struck the region, the Scottish Borders Council is continuing to make significant progress with a number of flood schemes.

Storm Desmond hit the Borders on 5 December 2015, followed by storms Frank on 31 December and Gertrude on 29 January 2016.

A further weather event occurred on 27 January.

These storms caused widespread infrastructure damage across the Borders, with a repair bill totaling almost £5 million.

In the last 12 months, two flood schemes have been completed and one is getting closer to entering its next phase before construction.

Selkirk Flood Protection Scheme

Almost 600 homes and businesses in Selkirk are now protected from major flood events after the defenses to the £31.4 million scheme were completed.

It means all the walls, embankments and river restoration works have been completed in less than two years.

Hawick Flood Protection Scheme

Significant work has been carried out to take the scheme forward in the last year.

The scheme has already received the first tranche of funding from the Scottish Government, which has provided an initial £1.342 million. The Government will provide 80 per cent (£29.2 million) of the overall costs, which currently stands at £36.4 million, subject to approval of the scheme.

“Our budget included an additional £400,000 of funding earmarked to bring forward the final design stages of the Hawick Flood Protection scheme by one year. This has the potential to deliver the whole project up to six months earlier than anticipated,” the Council stated.

Peebles

Peebles was severely impacted by flooding last winter, and we are facilitating the implementation of a Property Level Protection (PLP) scheme in the Tweed Green, Tweed Avenue/Walkershaugh area of the town.

The scheme is to be rolled out to 40 properties in these areas at a cost of £250,000.

Similar studies will also be undertaken in Earlston and Newcastleton.

Skiprunning Burn Scheme

Completed earlier this year, Jedburgh’s Skiprunning Burn Scheme aims to reduce the impact of flooding.

Improvements have also been made to the grille at Burn Wynd and a flood relief drain was created at Duck Row.

Additional measures such as flood resilient doors being fitted to the most vulnerable properties and drainage works at the Canongate also took place as part of the scheme.