After consideration of an update report last week, Falkirk Council’s Executive Committee has agreed that Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme - Scotland’s largest flood scheme - can proceed to the statutory notification stage.

This means that the scheme will now move forward with the Council seeking the necessary power under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 to implement the scheme.

Projected costs for the full scheme have been estimated at between £450 million and £672 million as the scope has increased, greater design detail has been progressed and the passage of time with inflationary pressures all contributing to making it by far Scotland’s largest flood protection scheme.

Work is also continuing with the Scottish Government which has stated “it is committed to working with Falkirk Council to determine an alternative funding stream for GFPS.”

The update report states:

“Falkirk Council is committed to working with the Scottish Government to establish an appropriate sustainable financial model for delivery of the Scheme. This model will need to be outlined within the projects Outline Business Case to be submitted for approval prior to commencing detailed design.

“A draft Outline Business Case is already available but is currently incomplete pending confirmation of funding for delivery stages. It is essential that a funding mechanism is secured before a confirmed scheme can be progressed to detailed design and construction. A fully compliant Business Case will be prepared after confirmation of the scheme and before taking a decision to progress to Detailed Design stage.”

According to the update “there has been little progress in development of a suitable project-level financial model with Scottish Government.” However, “once the scheme has been confirmed it can sit on the shelf indefinitely (in full or in part) until funding is made available”, the update says.

The FPS process involves submitting an application for funding from the Scottish Government once the Scheme is confirmed. Funding grants of 80 percent of the eligible costs are available from the Scottish Government for confirmed schemes which meet specific technical,environmental and economic criteria. Falkirk Council and others would then fund the remaining 20 percent of the total cost.

The statutory scheme notice, planned for issue at the end of March, will contain information on where the scheme documents can be viewed as well as where and how any objections can be made.

The scheme aims to protect more than 6025 people, 2760 residential properties, 1200 commercial properties and 23 kilometres of roads in the areas of Grangemouth, Wholeflats, Glensburgh, Langlees, Carron, Carronshore and Camelon (Stirling Road) together with the nationally significant Grangemouth Industrial Complex.

The number of protected properties and kilometres of infrastructure has increased as the scheme design has developed and reached the finalised outline design stage.

The new figures take account of the finalised flood risk modelling and new data being available such as building, topographical and hydrological data.

Whilst other parts of Scotland have been significantly affected by flooding over the last 5 years, Grangemouth has fortunately to date avoided significant flooding. However, in 2015 the scheme was identified as the top-ranked (number one priority) Flood Protection Scheme in Scotland as the highest priority given the potentially huge costs if an extreme flood event were to occur. It remains the largest and most significant flood risk in terms of potential negative impacts.

Cllr Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council said:

“I am pleased that we have this important agreement to bring GFPS forward to notification and to move forward with this nationally significant scheme that I hope will continue to be fully supported by the Scottish Government.

“It will protect the vital economic hub of Grangemouth, from floods caused by local rivers and coastal flooding from the Firth of Forth. It's crucial for safeguarding and protecting not only local but national interests.

The scheme will now hold online and in-person information engagement events across the scheme area in late February and early March before completing statutory notification at the end of March. The events will advise of the final outline scheme design for the 28km of flood defences in an exhibition format.

The events will also be accompanied by a virtual, digital exhibition which will carry the same information for anyone who cannot attend local events. Further details of all the events will be in the near future.