Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009

The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 adopts a proactive approach to managing flood risk in Scotland.

As lead local authority for the North East region under the act, we have produced the North East Local Flood Risk Management Plan. The Plan has been published in partnership with Aberdeen City, the Moray Council, SEPA, Scottish Water, the Forestry Commission and the Cairngorms National Park Authority.

SEPA were also tasked with leading the development of Flood Risk Management Strategies, working in partnership with local authorities, Scottish Water, the Forestry Commission and the National Park Authorities.

Local authorities and SEPA carried out consultation on the draft Flood Risk Management Strategies and Local Flood Risk Management Plans. Feedback from these consultations was collated by the council and SEPA and fed back into both the Local Flood Risk Management Plan and the Flood Risk Management Strategy for the North East Local Plan District.

Further information can be found on the SEPA and Scottish Government website.

Scottish Digital River Network (SDRN) assessments and inspections

The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, Sections 18 and 59 placed various new duties on local authorities, one of which is the need to assess bodies of water (watercourses such as rivers, ponds, farm drainage) for flood risk to properties or other public or private assets. If we judge from an assessment that there is a risk of flooding which could be substantially reduced by works of clearance or repair at a specified part of the watercourse, we will draw up a schedule of inspections to inform potential works (at public or private expense). You can view a map showing the outcomes of recent assessments.

The SDRN inspections are an ongoing process needing an initial assessment of more than 75,000 loci across Aberdeenshire. We expect it to take at least 2 years to complete but we update the map regularly with new assessments.

When possible we take photographs at inspected sites. You can request a copy of the photographs by emailing flooding@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.

Aberdeenshire Council

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