TheFloodPrevention&LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997 FifthBiennialReport-December2005 ABERDEENSHIRECOUNCIL FLOODING IN ABERDEENSHIRE FIFTHBIENNIALREPORT THEFLOODPREVENTION&LANDDRAINAGE(SCOTLAND)ACT1997 DECEMBER2005 1 TheFloodPrevention&LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997 FifthBiennialReport-December2005 FloodinginAberdeenshire SUMMARYREPORT AberdeenshireCouncilpublishesareportonfloodingeverytwoyearsto informAberdeenshireResidents.ThelastreportwaspublishedinNovember 2003.This,theFifthBiennialReport,coverstheperiodfromNovember2003 tothepresenttime. AllfloodeventsreportedtotheCouncilhavebeeninvestigated.Over70%of thefloodeventsrecordedoverthelasttwoyearswereduetolocallandor roaddrainagesystemsbeingoverwhelmedbytheintensityofrainfall.Inmost cases,improvementactionwasagreedinconjunctionwiththevariouspeople involved.Frequently,itwasforindividuallandownerstocarryoutthese improvements.Roaddrainageimprovementswhererequiredhavebeen includedinannualroadmaintenanceprogrammes,prioritisedagainstother demands.Basicmaintenanceworkhasbeencarriedoutonwatercourses wheretodosowouldreducethelikelihoodofpropertiesbeingflooded. Improvementstowatercoursestoreducethelikelihoodoffloodinghavebeen carriedoutatsomeofthelocationswheresignificantfloodingoccurredin Autumn2003.Otherimprovementsareplanned,someonalargeenough scaletorequireauthorisationbytheScottishExecutive. ThereportdetailsbrieflyallthefloodingincidentsreportedtoAberdeenshire Council.Thelocationsoffloodingtabulatedaredeliberatelyvaguetoavoid unnecessaryconcernandpossibleblight.Anymemberofthepublicwhohas alegitimateinterestmaycomeintotheCouncilsOfficeatCarltonHouse, Stonehavenandlookatthefloodrecordsforanyparticularlocation. Alternatively,byarrangement,somerecordscanbemadeavailablefor inspectionatanylocalAberdeenshireOffice.Contactdetailsaregivenatthe endofthereport. A“FloodActionNetwork”basedonthewellestablishedNeighbourhood WatchhasbeenestablishedwithafirstgroupinPortElphinstone.Other communitieswhoareatriskoffloodingfromwatercoursesareencouragedto jointhenetwork. Manyoftheopportunitiestocarryoutfloodpreventionworkonriversystems alsoprovideopportunitiesforimprovingnaturalhabitat,waterqualityandbio- diversity,andviceversa.AberdeenshireCouncilisworkinginpartnershipwith agenciessuchasSEPA,SNH,ScottishWaterandtheSalmonFishery Boardsandwithlandownerstoachievesustainablefloodprevention maximisingfloodplainstorage.FloodPreventionSchemesonthisbasisare duetocommencein2006atFettercairnandMarykirkandareplannedfor AboyneandTarland. 2 TheFloodPrevention&LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997 FifthBiennialReport-December2005 ABERDEENSHIRECOUNCIL FIFTHBIENNIALREPORT-DECEMBER2005 CONTENTS 1. ReasonforReport 2. FloodEventsinAberdeenshirebetweenNovember2003 andNovember2005 3. ActiontakenbyAberdeenshireCouncilundertheFloodPrevention& LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997sinceNovember2003 4. FurtherActionProposedbyAberdeenshireCouncilunderthe FloodPrevention&LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997andthe FloodPreventionAct1961 5. Funding 6. ContactPoints 7. Conclusion AppendixA-GlossaryofTermsUsedintheText AppendixB-TableofCatchmentAreaswithMainWatercourses,Principal TributariesandSettlements 3 TheFloodPrevention&LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997 FifthBiennialReport-December2005 1. ReasonforReport 1.1ThisreportspecifiesthemeasureswhichAberdeenshireCouncilconsider theyrequiretotaketopreventormitigatefloodingonnon-agriculturalland withinAberdeenshire.ThisreportispublishedasrequiredbytheFlood Prevention&LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997. 1.2Thisreportdetails: (1)allthefloodeventswhichhaveoccurredsincethepublicationofthe FourthBiennialReport: (2)allthemeasureswhichAberdeenshireCouncilhavetakentoprevent ormitigatefloodingsincepublicationoftheFourthBiennialReport; (3)allthefurthermeasureswhichAberdeenshireCouncilproposetotake topreventormitigateflooding. 1.3Thisreportisbasedonareviewofalltheinformationwhichisavailableto AberdeenshireCouncilatthepresenttimeandproposesactions considerednecessaryarisingfromthatreview.Asitisintendedprimarily toinformAberdeenshireResidents,theuseoftechnicaltermshasbeen kepttoaminimum.Nevertheless,technicaltermsareunavoidableina reportwhichisessentiallytechnical.Synonymshavegenerallybeen definedwithinthetextwherefirstencountered.PleaserefertoAppendixA atthebackofthereportforaglossaryoftermsusedinthetext. 4 TheFloodPrevention&LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997 FifthBiennialReport-December2005 2. FloodEventsinAberdeenshirebetween November2003andNovember2005 2.1Thegeneralweatherpatternoverthetwo-yearperiodcoveredbythis biennialreporthasbeen“drytonormal”.Theexceptionallywetperiodin Autumn2002wasfollowedbygenerallydryweatherin2003/04andmore normalweatherin2004/05.Thesaturatedgroundconditionstypicalof mostof2002werefollowedbydrygroundconditionsthroughmostof 2003and2004andmorenormalgroundconditionsin2005. Consequently,heavyraindidnotcausewatercoursestoovertopas frequentlyduringthereportedperiod2003to2005asduringtheperiod coveredbythepreviousbiennialreport. 2.2LocalfloodeventsoccurredinAberdeenshireduringtheperiodNovember 2003toNovember2005astabulatedbyrivercatchmentbelow.See AppendixBfordetailsofcommunitylocationsandrivercatchments. 2.3NomajorfloodeventsoccurredinAberdeenshireduringthereported period.Ofallthefloodproblemsreported,72%relatedtolandand/orroad drainageproblems;26%relatedtowatercourses. 2.4IncidentsoffloodingreportedtoAberdeenshireCouncilwereinvestigated andassessed.Thelocationsoffloodingtabulatedaredeliberatelyvague toavoidunnecessaryconcernandpossibleblight.Anymemberofthe publicwhohasalegitimateinterestmaycomeintotheCouncilsOfficeat CarltonHouse,Stonehavenandlookatthefloodrecordsforanyparticular location.Alternatively,byarrangement,somerecordscanbemade availableforinspectionatanylocalAberdeenshireOffice. 2.5AberdeenshireCouncilhasadoptedaninternalPerformanceIndicator(PI) tomeasurethepercentageoffloodreportswhichareinvestigatedwithin 10workingdaysofhavingbeenreported.Sinceinceptioninearly2005, thePIforinvestigationoffloodincidentshasconsistentlybeen100%. 5 TheFloodPrevention&LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997 FifthBiennialReport-December2005 DATE LOCATION WATERCOURSE INCIDENT DETAILS ACTION Jan2004 Turriff-TurriffGolfClub. Deveron Floodingofgolfcourse. RiverDeveronregularlyovertops Advicetoriparian ontogolfcourse. owners Jun2004 Cornhill N/A Floodingofvarious Runoffofheavyrainonroadand Consultationwith domesticproperties. adjacentfields.Inabilityofroad propertyowner. ditchestocope.Watercouldnot outfall. Jun2004 Huntly–South-East N/A Floodingofdomestic Run-offfromheavyrainonroads. Consultationwith properties. Insufficientsewercapacity. ScottishWater. Jun2004 Whitehills N/A Floodingofdomesticand Runofffromheavyrainonroads. Advicetoproperty Nov2005 commercialproperties. Drainagesystemunabletocope. owners.ConsultArea RoadsMaintenance. Jul2004 Huntly–Central N/A Floodingofdomestic Run-offfromheavyrainoncar Consultationwith properties. parkandadjacentfields.Drainage ScottishWater. systemunabletocope. Jan2005 Turriff-East TurriffBurn Floodingofdomestic Run-offfromheavyrainon Consultationwith properties. adjacentgrassedfield.Existing developers. drainagesystemunabletocope. Feb2005 Huntly-East RiverBogie Floodingofdomestic RiverBogieovertopsintoadjacent Designandconstruct property. playparkandrunsbackinto floodbankstoprotect domesticproperty. property. May2005 Sandend Issues Floodingofcommercial Runoffofheavyrainfrom Consultationwith land. adjacentfieldsbacksupfrom ScottishWater. smallroadculvertandfloods nearbycommercialland. Jun2005 Turriff–West N/A Floodingofdomestic Run-offfromheavyrainonroads. Consultationwith properties. Drainagesystemunabletocope. ScottishWater. DeveronCatchment–FloodingIncidentsNov03toNov05 6 TheFloodPrevention&LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997 FifthBiennialReport-December2005 DATE LOCATION WATERCOURSE INCIDENT DETAILS ACTION Jan2004 Fraserburgh–South Issues Floodingofdomestic Runofffromheavyrainon Advicegiventoproperty West access. adjacentfieldspondsataccessto owner.Civildisputewith domesticproperty. localfarmer. Jun2004 Fraserburgh–NorthEast N/A Floodingofdomestic Runofffromheavyrainonroads. Localroads property. Inabilityofroaddrainstocope. maintenancedealing Watercouldnotoutfall. withproblem. Dec2004 Cairnbulg Fieldissues Floodingofdomestic Runofffromheavyrainon Advicetoproperty property. adjacentfieldspondsatrearof ownersandconsultation properties. withcontractors. Jan2005 CrudenBayGolfClub Issues Floodingofgolfcourse Erosionofculvertcausingwaterto Advicegiven–riparian backupandovertopontogolf problem. course. Mar2005 FraserburghBeach N/A Perceivedcoastal Previousrockarmouringworks Monitorandstudy. floodingproblem. maybecausingaproblemwith sandmigration. Oct2005 Peterhead–Central N/A Floodingofdomestic Runofffromheavyrainonroads. Localroads property. Inabilityofroaddrainstocope. maintenancedealing Watercouldnotoutfall. withproblem. Dec2005 Longside–South Fieldissues Floodingofdomestic Runofffromheavyrainon Advicegiventoproperty property. adjacentfieldsovertopsditch owner.Localplanning runningthroughdomesticland. officecontacted regardingongoing development. UgieCatchment–FloodingIncidentsNov03toNov05 7 TheFloodPrevention&LandDrainage(Scotland)Act1997 FifthBiennialReport-December2005 DATE LOCATION WATERCOURSE INCIDENT DETAILS ACTION Jan2004 Oldmeldrum–NorthEast Issues Floodingofdomestic Overtoppingofmillracecaused Consultationwith property. floodingofdomesticproperty. millraceowners.Mill sluiceandladetobe monitoredand maintainedbyowners. Jun2004 Rothienorman–South Issues Floodingofdomestic