News releases from Peter Peacock on the issue of Flooding
Flood Funding or Face Cuts in Services
20th. September 2007
The Scottish Government must guarantee funding of up to 100% for flood alleviation schemes in the Highland and Islands to avoid local council cuts in services.
This is the commitment Highlands and Islands regional Labour MSP Peter Peacock demanded from Environment Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead for at a debate on managing the risks of flooding at Holyrood this morning.
He said that retaining existing government support of 80% while restricting local authority’s council tax raising abilities would mean that money for flood works would have to come from reduced spending on schools, local roads and social work.
"I will not support putting undue burdens on the people of the Highlands and Islands and local authority spending, because of changes the minority government are making to local taxation." said Mr Peacock.
Mr Peacock cited the case in Moray where the bill for their various flood schemes comes close to £140m.
He said that even under the most prudent financial measures the Moray Council would face a 3.5% increase in their Council Tax which may last for 25 years to fund their share of the projects.
"All avenues for funding the scheme are now being blocked by this minority government with their tax plan changes.
"That potentially means the schemes can not proceed, or will have to be funded by millions of pounds of cuts in other services.
"This is a ridiculous position to put the people of Moray in."
He said that the only solution was for the Government to guarantee to fund the flood alleviation schemes in Moray 100% - a commitment the Minister singularly failed to give.
Mr Peacock said that he welcomed the discussions which took place at Holyrood today examining issues including the role of climate change in the debate, the length of time it takes to put flood schemes in place, the effects on our emergency services of flooding, the support required by Island Authorities in dealing with coastal erosion and a call generally for more sustainable measures to prevent flooding.
"We in the Highlands have seen these effects in Dingwall, in Inverness, in Elgin, Forres and Rothes, in East Sutherland, in Caol, Fort William and Acharacle in the West, and in Kirkwall and the North Isles," said Mr Peacock.
He added: "Flooding in Scotland is changing constantly and requires urgent attention, but the SNP needs to consider its own policy of handcuffing local authorities if this is going to happen."
Highlands and Islands MSP calls for flooding inquiry to come to Moray
19th. September 2007
MSPs launching a major inquiry into flooding in Scotland are being urged to come to Moray to learn from the area’s experience and expertise.
Highlands and Islands Labour regional MSP Peter Peacock has invited members of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee to visit Moray to meet with local people, learn of their first hand experience of the trauma of being flooded out of their homes, and meet a range of local experts involved in dealing with the design of flood protection measures.
"I know from meeting residents flooded out of their homes just the trauma that can be caused.
"Elgin, Forres, Rothes and Llanbryde have experienced some of the worst flooding in Scotland in recent years.
"There has been considerable work done in the area reviewing climate change research and investigating and planning flood alleviation schemes.
"It is that experience, and that of the emergency services locally, which would be invaluable in informing the inquiry of what needs to be done to make things better in future." said Mr Peacock.
North MSP welcomes Major Inquiry into Flooding in Scotland
5th. September 2007
Highlands and Islands Regional Labour MSP Peter Peacock is saying a Parliamentary inquiry into flooding announced today must explore the real human cost of the problem.
At a meeting of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee at Holyrood this morning he argued that given the number of people affected the Parliament needs to have a major inquiry.
"We must expose to the public glare people’s experiences of flooding. This is a major issue which is affecting more and more people’s lives," said Mr Peacock.
"There is an anxiety, certainly amongst the people of the Highlands and Islands, that given the high rainfall we have already had we could experience serious flooding later in the year."
He pointed out at the meeting that the Highland communities, including East Sutherland, Easter Ross, Moray, the West Coast at Fort William and Caol, Thurso and Kirkwall, have a lot of experience of flooding and will be pushing for their views to be heard as part of the process.
The inquiry will collect evidence from experts, from the communities, from local authorities and would allow recommendations to be made to inform possible Scottish Executive legislation expected next year.
"We need to consider the whole range of issues including why we are experiencing such high rainfall, what is happening in the areas that experience flooding, what statutory procedures are in place, budgetary spending and whether alleviation schemes are effective," said Mr Peacock.
He commented that he is keen to hear the views of local people in the Highlands and Islands and would welcome e-mails or calls on their experiences.
Peacock again calls for action on Moray Flood Prevention
16th. July 2007
Highlands and Islands Regional Labour MSP Peter Peacock has again called on the Scottish Executive to take action to speedily progress flood prevention measures in Moray.
Mr Peacock, who sits on the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee of the Scottish Parliament, said, "I raised the issue of flooding at the committee last month and am hopeful that the issue is one which will be scrutinised.
"Significant climate change is occurring and we have witnessed more frequent and severe flooding occurring in recent years, with Moray being one of the worst affected areas.
"Flooding results in distress and personal cost for householders and disrupts business and the local economy.
"In addition to climate change reduction measures the executive needs to take a comprehensive look at all the relevant issues affecting flooding - including river system management, tree planting schemes and roadside gully maintenance.
"Moray Council has made good progress with flood prevention initiatives and the plans for the massive Elgin scheme are now complete and awaiting executive funding.
"Elsewhere, only recently, there was again flooding in Rothes emphasising the need to move quickly with the local scheme now going through the consultation process.
"The Elgin flood prevention scheme is the first such scheme from Moray to be considered by the new SNP Executive.
"The scheme has been well researched and planned and it is essential it is progressed by the Executive as a matter of urgency.
"Yet again, we have had a disappointing and wet summer emphasising the need for prompt action before another prolonged downpour leads to fresh flooding.
"The SNP MSP for Moray, Richard Lochhhead, is also the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and I would call on him to ensure that the Elgin project and the others from Moray, which will follow, receive both the full funding required and prompt approval.
"The Cabinet Secretary has also said that he would consider separate flooding legislation as part of plans to tackle climate change."
Mr Peacock added, "There is no doubt that climate change and its associated flooding will continue to provide a major challenge to the Executive and how it deals with the Elgin scheme will provide an early indication of its commitment to addressing this serious issue. "
Peacock Puts Local Flooding Issues on Parliament Agenda
21 June 2007
Highlands and Islands Regional Labour MSP, Peter Peacock, yesterday put increasing local flooding problems on the agenda of the Scottish Parliament.
Speaking at the first meeting of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee he made a bid for a committee inquiry into flooding, as it was a key issue of concern to more and more people affected by climate change.
Peter Peacock said, "I wanted to try and ensure the environment committee would consider examining flooding as one of its key areas of work.
"There is no doubt that we are experiencing significant climate change and one dimension of that is more frequent and severe flooding following the more intense storms and extremely heavy rainfall we are all experiencing.
"The most obvious example of severe disruption has occurred in Elgin in recent years, but Inverness, Caol, parts of east Sutherland and Dingwall have also been badly affected.
"The environment committee has a clear scrutiny role concerning flooding and I was pleased the Committee Convener supported me in raising the issue as one to be looked at.
"Due to river systems being so complex, there are a whole number of dimensions to looking at what more the Executive must do to combat flooding.
"This ranges from climate change reduction measures, river system management and tree planting regimes upstream and in river headwaters, flood prevention and alleviation schemes and the law surrounding them.
"Ditch and gully maintenance by roadsides should also be reviewed.
"We need a comprehensive look at the issues and I hope that when the Committee finally decide their work-programme for the coming year flooding issues will get some close attention, as will the funding of flood prevention measures."
Mr Peacock is also calling on Richard Lochhead to make early progress on the massive Elgin flood prevention scheme.
He said, "Now that the Council has made so much progress in devising the scheme the focus is shifting to the Executive to fully fund it and ensure Elgin is properly protected into the future.
"It is a major challenge for the new Executive and a very expensive scheme, but there is no doubt it needs to get the go ahead just as quickly as is humanly possible."