Glasgow City Council

Flood Prevention and Land Drainage () Act 1997

2009 Statutory Report

November 2009 Steve Inch BSc(Hons) DipTRP Executive Director of Development and Regeneration Services

Contents Page

Foreword 3

1. Watercourse Management 4

2. Measures Identified as being Required 4

3. Measures Taken since Publication of Previous Report 6

4. Occurrences of Flooding since Previous Report 6

5. Flood Prevention Work 7

6. Additional Activities 7

Appendix A List of Main Watercourses in 9

Appendix B Significant Maintenance Work Carried Out 10

Appendix C Watercourses City-wide - Location Plan 12

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Foreword

The Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961, as amended by the Flood Prevention and Land Drainage (Scotland) Act 1997, requires the Local Authority to prepare and publish a report every two years. This report is the seventh compiled by in compliance with this Act and covers the period from 31 October 2007 to 1 November 2009.

Within the initial report, the Council advised that it would corporately manage its watercourses for the good of the environment, its population and its economic development. The contents of this report outline the progress made to date as well as listing the actions taken in respect of its duties under the Flood Prevention and Land Drainage (Scotland) Act 1997 which are :-

• The measures which Glasgow City Council considers it requires to take to prevent or mitigate flooding of non-agricultural land within the City;

• The measures which Glasgow City Council has taken since the date of publication of the previous report, November 2007, to prevent or mitigate such flooding; and

• All occurrences of such flooding since the previous report.

This report incorporates information recorded by Development and Regeneration Services and Land and Environmental Services on all watercourses within the City.

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1. Watercourse Management

The Corporate Working Group, set up in 1997 in response to the Flood Prevention and Land Drainage Act 1997, has evolved into the scope of the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership. The objective of the Partnership is the development of the Strategic Drainage Plan. This Partnership comprises Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council, Council, Scottish Water and the Scottish Environment Agency.

The Council recognises the requirements of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 and the role of Responsible Authority. The policies and practices that are currently being followed are generally in line with this Act.

A cyclical watercourse cleaning programme has been implemented along the watercourses (excluding the ) paying particular attention to known trouble spots. Primarily, this is to remove the rubbish, vegetation and debris which cause blockages at sensitive locations identified from an ongoing assessment. There are now fifty five trash screens and other sensitive locations throughout the city and these are cleaned at regular intervals as well as on receipt of heavy rainfall warnings. The expenditure for this programme and parallel works was in excess of £500,000 for the reporting period.

Consultant appointments have been made and will be continued to be made for studies to determine the performance of specific watercourses and consider the feasibility of flood prevention works. (See Sections 2 and 5)

Where isolated blockages or maintenance works are identified during the assessment process, remedial measures are either implemented or prioritised in line with available resources.

A database continues to be developed to include details of flood history, maintenance work required and implemented, and general catchment management data. This is based on the Geographical Information System (GIS).

2. Measures Identified as Being Required to Prevent or Mitigate Flooding

As noted above, a programme of cyclical maintenance continues to be undertaken. In parallel to this, through ongoing assessment and a prioritised programme of works, watercourse clearing is carried out where it will reduce the likelihood of flooding. (see Appendix B.) In the main this has focused on culverts through former industrial areas which are severely silted and of uncertain structural integrity. This work has also included the removal of shopping trolleys and domestic waste from open watercourses. In addition, the projects outlined in Section 2.1 have been commissioned to develop surface water management plans and to ascertain where improvements to sensitive areas can help to mitigate flooding. There are, however, some watercourses that are almost wholly culverted. For these watercourses, surveying is continuing to be undertaken to ascertain their condition, line, level and size. The information gathered is and will be essential data for the construction of hydraulic/computer models (see Section 2.1). Glasgow City Council and SEPA are now promoting the opening of watercourses and the removal of culverts in the interests of reducing flood risk, enhancing water quality and biodiversity.

A list of watercourses in the City is attached in Appendix A along with a plan of flooding locations in this reporting period in Appendix C.

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2.1 Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Plan

The Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Plan (MGSDP) is being undertaken in the recognition of the need for an integrated and sustainable approach to drainage master planning for the City. The objectives of the MGSDP are:

• Enabling economic development. • Flood risk reduction; • Water quality improvement; • Watercourse habitat improvement, and; • Integrated and optimised investment planning.

The Partnership and the plan is being promoted and guided by a Partnership Board comprising Glasgow City Council, Scottish Water, Glasgow and Clyde Valley Structure Plan, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), and Scottish Government.

The following projects are being undertaken by the City Council and are based on the principles developed in the plan.

• South Integrated Urban Infrastructure The high level studies previously carried out for the Clyde Gateway Integrated Water Plan are being further progressed with a detailed surface water management strategy. It is being developed in co-operation with the Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company. It will inform and enable the development of Clyde Gateway.

• Area Development Sites The surface water drainage infrastructure project has been completed allowing development sites in this area to be implemented.

• Burn Overflow The construction of the overflow culvert is progressing through two contracts. The first contract which is nearing completion, is to lay it through the National Indoor Sports Arena site to the River Clyde. The second contract to join up with the Camlachie Burn at Gallowgate will be carried out as part of the East End Regeneration Route construction contract.

• / Surface Water Management Plan Scoping work has been carried out to determine the work that is required to comprehensively study the sensitivity and complex hydrology of the Gartloch and Gartcosh Area. This will inform a further appointment to fully understand the hydrology and guide the placement of Community Growth Areas. It will inform the management of the surface water not only within this area but also in the downstream catchment.

• Integrated Hydraulic Models The integrated hydraulic model of the public sewerage system and watercourses in the Dalmarnock catchment is being updated and upgraded. This model will allow a more detailed and accurate assessment of the issues and provide a robust tool for the development of drainage options and solutions.

• Development Forums Glasgow City Council takes part in discussion groups with Scottish Water and SEPA in order to remove constraints, associated with flooding, to development within the City.

• Flood Prevention Scheme Proposals Consideration is underway to devise flood prevention measures in the Dalmarnock catchment, to follow on from the construction of the Camlachie Burn Overflow.

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2.2 Quay Wall Maintenance

The two year cyclical programme of inspections of quay walls on the River Clyde is on-going with 50% of walls being inspected each year.

Approximately 230 linear metres of new quay walls were constructed at Pointhouse Quay prior to the site start of New Riverside Museum (NRM) works in March 2008. Inspect ions and an engineering assessment of Pointhouse Quay had shown that the existing quay walls and wharfs would not be strong enough to allow development of the adjacent land and that the height of the existing quay walls and wharfs was lower than would be required to provide flood protection. Corrosion protection works to the new quay walls are currently being installed.

A new length of approximately 100 linear metres of quay wall has been constructed by Ltd to allow the closure and infilling of Basin.

At Broomielaw, on the North side of the River Clyde, the quay has been refurbished along with major Public Realm improvements.

The quay wall on the South side of the River has also been replaced along with major Public Realm improvements as part of the regeneration initiative of the Tradeston area of the City.

The new Tradeston footbridge is now complete enhancing the connection of this area to the city centre at Broomielaw. It is hoped that this will contribute to the regeneration of the Tradeston area.

A quay wall at Balmoral Street is being considered for repair.

3. Measures Taken Since Publication of Previous Report

The programme of cyclical cleaning continues to be reappraised regularly to ensure that existing and new troublesome locations are regularly maintained.

Heavy rainfall warnings are received from the Met. Office to allow potential problem areas to be checked in advance of severe weather.

Significant assessments and maintenance work carried out in addition to the cyclical cleaning programme, is detailed in Appendix B.

The Glasgow Strategic Drainage Plan outlined in Section 2 continues to be developed. The studies and programmes of action are underway in the strategic approach to drainage in the City and in the development of flood prevention proposals.

4. Occurrences of Flooding Since Previous Report

While thirty six heavy rain warnings were received from the Met. Office over the reporting period, there have been no reports of flooding from watercourses that affected property. There has also been a marked reduction from previous years in complaints from members of the public with regard to debris in watercourses and high water levels. This indicates that the Watercourse Management and level of proactive maintenance together with the cyclical cleaning contract to prevent or mitigate flooding from a watercourse has been successful.

The above only relates to flooding from watercourses during heavy rainfall. It does not include reports received from the public of ponding on roads etc. arising from road gully blockages, sewerage flooding, etc.

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5. Flood Prevention Works

The following projects are in hand in order to protect the City of Glasgow from the risk of flooding:

White Cart Water The White Cart Water Flood Prevention Scheme 2004 was confirmed by the Scottish Ministers in May 2006. The Scheme is currently being progressed in two contracts. Contract 1 is for the construction of the three flood water storage sites in the upper catchment. Construction started in February 2008 and is programmed for completion in mid 2010. Contract 2 is for the construction of the urban defences. Construction started in November 2008 and is programmed for completion in late 2011. Details of the Scheme can be found on:

www.whitecartwaterproject.org

River Clyde Flood The River Corridor Supplementary Development Guide provides Management Strategy information about the implementation of flood management solutions and improvements to quay walls, incorporating the creation of and improvements to public spaces along the River Clyde corridor. Development along the River Clyde must meet the criteria set out in this document in terms of the condition of quay walls and the flood prevention measures that are required at each site. It was approved by the Executive Committee of Glasgow City Council in September 2007 and has been incorporated into the Planning process so that the criteria must be met to achieve planning approval. The document can be found on the webpage below:

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Environment/FloodRisk Management/

6. Additional Activities

6.1 Planning Policy and Consultation Process

During the 2007/09 period as part of the process of producing a new City Plan, the Council’s planners and engineers worked together on reviewing Policy ENV 3 – Flood Prevention and Land Drainage to update and replace it with new policies and guidance. The process of review took into consideration the requirements of the Flood Prevention and Land Drainage (Scotland) Act 1997 and the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 as well as the guidance contained in SPP 7: Planning and Flooding and the associated advice on flood prevention, sustainable land drainage and other water infrastructure and environmental considerations contained in PAN 51: Planning and Environmental Protection, PAN 61: Planning for Natural Heritage, PAN 67: Housing Quality, PAN 69: Planning and Building Standards Advice on Flooding, and PAN 79: Water and Drainage. It was also informed by the evolving Glasgow Strategic Drainage Plan set up in response to the 2002 flood event in the ‘East End’ of the City and the availability of the SEPA River and Coastal Flood Map (Scotland).

Two new policies emerged from this process and formed part of the 2007 City Plan public consultation ENV 4: Sustainable Drainage Systems, regarding the requirement for Suds and surface water management Plans and ENV 5: Flood Prevention and Land Drainage, dealing with flood management, the flood risk framework, functional flood plains, connection to the public sewerage system, culverted watercourses, flood defences and flood prevention

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schemes, water resistant materials. I n response to observations by SEPA and others some clarification changes were made to the policies and the topic of water quality was given a policy of its own i.e. ENV 17: Protecting the Water Environment. It includes presumptions against both development and river engineering works that are likely to have an adverse effect on water quality. The Public Local Inquiry into the City Plan took place in October and November 2008 and the new plan is scheduled for adoption in November 2009.

6.2 Research and Development

Glasgow City Council is working in collaboration with a number of organisations in the research and development of flood prevention technology. These include Herriot Watt University, Abertay University, the Flood Risk Management Consortium (FRMC), Aberdeen University and the System Based Analysis and Management of Urban Flood Risk (SAM).

6.3 Flood Liaison and Advisory Groups (FLAGs)

The Clyde Catchment (CC) FLAG consists of planning and engineering representatives from all eight of the local authorities that make up the Joint Structure Plan area as well as SEPA, Scottish Water, SNH, Homes for Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and other appropriate stakeholder organisations operating with a strategic remit. It tends to meet annually. At its meeting in August 2008 the main items on the agenda included the Flood Risk Management Bill, the Glasgow Strategic Drainage Plan, RBMP and the EU Flood Directive.

Of the three FLAG’s which support the CC FLAG the Kelvin FLAG met in June 2007 and thereafter as a consequence of staffing and other issues became moribund. The Carts FLAG which had been previously very active met in December 2007 but thereafter resource and other constraints mean that it has not met again in the 07/09 period. The Upper Clyde FLAG which had been less active previously met on nine occasions. In December 2008 the Upper Clyde FLAG agreed that because of the ongoing abeyance of the River Kelvin FLAG representatives from East Dunbartonshire Council be invited to attend, in order to remain active within the CC FLAG.

6.5 Flood Warnings

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is now providing flood warnings for the River Clyde River Kelvin and the White Cart Water via their website ( www.sepa.org.uk ).

Currently, once a flood warning has been issued, SEPA will notify local authority and emergency services of the situation, to enable them to take appropriate action in advance of any flooding. Furthermore, warnings will be issued on the SEPA Floodline information system (on 0845 988 1188 or on the SEPA website www.sepa.org.uk/flooding .) More targeted warning procedures are being developed by SEPA.

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Appendix A – List of Main Watercourses in Glasgow

Glasgow South Glasgow North

Watercourse Watercourse Auldhouse Burn Barlinnie Burn Aurs Burn Battle Burn Bagabout Burn Burntbroom Burn Blacksley Bothlin Burn Brock Burn Camlachie Burn Broomloan Burn Burn Burn Cleddans Burn Area Burns Burn (N) Chirn Burn Garscadden Burn (S) Cityford Burn Light Burn Clyde Milton Burn (unnamed) Cowglen Burn Molendinar Burn Craigton Burn N Calder Tributary Haugh Hill Burn River Kelvin Henderson Burn Stand Burn Holeburn Tollcross Burn Jenny Lind Burn Burn Levern Water Yokermains Burn Linburn Burn Malls Mire/ Burn Manse Burn Merryburn Oldbar Burn Pedmyre Burn Quigleys Burn Spittal Burn Waulkglen/Darnleymains Burn White Cart Water

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Appendix B - Significant Maintenance Work Carried Out.

Glasgow South

Watercourse Work carried out

Auldhouse Burn Channel cleaning.

Brock Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, & tributary channel cleaning and access works.

Carmunnock Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, 1 No. trash screen replaced.

Castlemilk Burns CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning.

Chirn Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, manhole excavation and repairs. (3No. raised.).

Cowglen Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning and culvert cleaning.

Jenny Lind Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning, manhole excavation and repairs (1No.raised).1No.trashscreen replaced.

Linburn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment.

Linthouse Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment.

Mallsmire Burn / CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, Polmadie Burn channel cleaning and culvert cleaning.

Manse Burn Channel cleaning.

Merry Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment,

Pedmyre Burn CCTV survey /inspection and assessment.

Quigleys Burn CCTV survey /inspection and assessment

Spittal Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment.

Waulkglen/ mains Channel cleaning. Burn

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Glasgow North

Watercourse Work Carried Out

Battle Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning, manhole excavation and repairs (1 No. raised).

Burntbroom CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning, manhole excavation and repairs (1 No. raised) and 1 No. trash screen replaced.

Camlachie Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning, culvert cleaning, manhole excavation and repairs (1 No. raised) and access works to trash screens.

Carntyne Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, culvert cleaning, manhole excavation and repairs.

Cleddans Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning, culvert cleaning, manhole excavation and repairs (6 No. raised )

Forth & Clyde Canal CCTV survey/inspection and assessment. Overflow – (Garscadden)

Garscadden Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning, culvert cleaning and access works to screens.

Light Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning and access works

Milton Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment and channel cleaning.

Molendinar Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning, culvert cleaning, manhole excavations and repairs (1No. raised).

Stand Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, culvert cleaning and repairs.

N. Calder Water CCTV survey/inspection and assessment channel cleaning. tributary Tollcross Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning, manhole excavation and repairs (1No.raised), fabrication/replacement of 4 No. trash screens and access works.

Yoker Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning, and culvert cleaning

Yokermains Burn CCTV survey/inspection and assessment, channel cleaning, culvert cleaning, manhole excavation and repairs (1 No. raised).

• The above work is in addition to the continual inspections and cyclical cleaning programme for screens and sensitive locations.

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Appendix C

WATERCOURSES CITY-WIDE LOCATION PLAN

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