Dingwall Business Park flood bund upgrade 'approved in principle' as Highland Council committee endorses efforts to break development logjam

Members of Highland Council’s economy and infrastructure committee have approved, in principle, to adopt the upgraded flood bund at Dingwall Business Park to open up new opportunities.

The issue has been a huge bone of contention with local councillors frustrated at seeing some business bids for the park knocked back.

Dingwall Business Park, which lies on the River Peffery Flood Plain, currently hosts a variety of units, including a recycling centre, offices, a nursery and a number of industrial units.

Ironically, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, which has a key role on flood issues, is also located there.

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The original bund embankment was erected around the perimeter in the 1980s and when the space was expanded to the west, a further embankment was erected around the newer section.

The existing bund provides some relief from flood risk associated with the River Peffery but it is not a formal Flood Protection Scheme and was not constructed under relevant flooding legislation.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), who were responsible for the development of the business park, are undertaking design work to establish the full extent of works and costs that would be required to upgrade the existing bund to a condition to provide designed flood protection in accordance with planning guidance.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have indicated this would only be formally recognised if it was a consented flood bund in accordance with the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 and adopted by the council.

It is therefore necessary for HIE and any other potential investors to the upgrade works to establish that the principle of adoption is agreed by the council, before committing to funding of the construction works.

The committee's in principle decision is subject to agreement over the construction and delivery of the flood bund and also agreement for the resulting liabilities associated with adoption

Chairman of the committee, Councillor Ken Gowans, said: “Currently any new development within the business park is being considered as a flood risk. This is having a negative impact on the potential for new economic growth, so I am pleased that our decision to adopt in principle, is a positive step forward to unlocking opportunities within Dingwall Business Park.”

To move onto full adoption, the council will require the upgrade works to be designed to an appropriate standard; construction work to be completed; access arrangements to be in place and ongoing maintenance costs to be established and all related agreements and consents to be in place.

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