Murdo Fraser MSP has put 12 key questions to the Leader of Perth and Kinross Council regarding the flood management plan used at the weekend, that led to the North Inch in Perth being flooded, with many homes and businesses being adversely impacted as a result.
In his letter, the Scottish Conservative politician has asked Councillor Grant Laing to explain why flood gates at the North Inch in Perth were not closed at 5.09pm on Friday, October 6, when the local authority decided to close the flood gates at the South Inch following a Met Office Amber weather warning. Perth and Kinross Council had posted this on its Facebook page at the time.
Commenting, Mr Fraser said: “A large number of constituents have contacted me with concerns about the flooding that occurred in the City of Perth last weekend. A number of these residents own or occupy properties around the North Inch which were flooded on Sunday, and they attribute this directly to the failure of the Council to timeously close the flood gates on the North Inch, which allowed waters from the River Tay to flood in over a period of many hours.
"I have written on their behalf with 12 key questions to the Council Leader in a bid to get to the bottom of why this happened. I have asked him was the failure to close the flood gates on the North Inch a deliberate decision on the part of the Council, or simply an oversight. If this was an oversight on the part of the Council, who within the local authority was responsible for this, and what action is being taken in this regard?
“It must have been apparent that river levels were likely to rise quickly following the heavy rain on Saturday. I have asked if the river levels were being monitored with the awareness that the North Inch flood gates were open and would need to be closed at short notice. I have also asked when the Council first became aware that river water was approaching the open flood gates on the North Inch, and, at that point, what action was taken?”
Mr Fraser continued: “Local residents need to know what action was planned to alert householders living in Charlotte Place, Rose Terrace and Barossa Place of the potential risk to their properties. We need to know if householders were issued with sandbags or any other protective materials.
“I have also asked the Council Leader what compensation will now be paid to those who have suffered flood damage as a direct result of the Council’s failure in these matters; will there be any refund for those who have booked exercise and sports classes at Bells Sports Centre, which have had to be cancelled due to the flooding, and what protocols have been put in place to ensure that there can never be a repetition of the events that we saw at the weekend.
“We also need to know why the Council subsequently deleted social media posts that had initially blamed SEPA for not advising them of the flood warning in time to allow the North Inch flood gates to be closed.
“These are serious questions that my constituents are demanding answers to.”
