Council sets date for follow-up flood meeting in east Inverness
A DATE for a second public meeting to discuss flooding on the east side of Inverness has been set by the Highland Council.
The meeting will be held on November 24 at Culloden Academy and will start at 7.30pm.
At an earlier public meeting held on August 18, attended by around 200 local people, Provost Jimmy Gray, chairman of Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee, gave an assurance that a further meeting would be held to update the public on the actions being taken to reduce the risk of future flooding.
The first meeting went ahead after flash floods in July saw homes awash, roads closed by flooding and structural damage. Tragedy also struck during the floods when Smithton man William Hamilton (68), of Murray Terrace, died while trying to unblock a culvert.
The council invited the public to contact them with information on local flooding concerns and since then the local authority has received feedback from 55 residents via questionnaires, emails and letters on recent flood concerns. The majority of respondents have been visited to investigate the problems by council TEC Services staff.
Representatives from the council’s TEC Services, and Planning and Development Service; Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA); Northern Constabulary; Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service; Forestry Commission (Scotland), Scottish Flood Forum, and Scottish Water will be in attendance at the meeting on November 24.
An update will be given on the work being carried out by the council’s flood team and JBA consultants who have been appointed by the Highland Council to undertake a detailed study of the underlying causes of the flooding.
Neil Gillies, Director of TEC Services, will also give an update on the measures which are being considered to reduce the risk of future flooding.
The council has been working closely with its partner agencies including SEPA and Scottish Water.
An information booklet "Managing Flood Risk in the Highlands" is about to be published by council. The booklet explains the various responsibilities of the Highland Council, Scottish Water, SEPA and property owners for flooding. It also gives advice on how to be prepared, what to do if properties are affected by flooding, and the Council’s role during flooding.
