Message from Councillor Michael Barnacle
Dear Staff
My name is Michael A Barnacle at: michaelabarnacle@gmail.com
I am responding to your consultation as an elected member for the Kinross-shire Ward of Perth & Kinross Council (PKC), but not on their behalf. I am happy with my responses to be shared with PKC.
In relation to the Forth Estuary Local Plan District (LDP 10) on Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVA), I do not agree that you have identified all the communities that require flood risk management within the District. I am concerned about the exclusion of the Drum Area in West Kinross-shire and fundamentally disagree with PKC that this is not an area requiring flood management. It has a high water table and lies just east of the River Devon Catchment. To my certain knowledge, during periods of high rainfall, several areas of land around the settlement flood extensively and I am aware of 2 houses experiencing serious flooding and several others at high risk thereof. PKC do not listen to Community Council representation on the flood risk in the area when sanctioning further new build development that exacerbates the situation. The waste water treatment plant put in relatively recently by Scottish Water, as an environmental improvement after community request, is at near capacity. For years, I have asked PKC to support a ditch management scheme for the area (there are a significant number of water courses flowing through the settlement from neighbouring hills for which I have the maps and they frequently get obstructed) to no avail.
I fully support the response to your consultation from my constituent, Julie King and have personally witnessed the flooding that her home has been subjected to. PKC have done little to assist with the problem. The above response also relates to Kinross target area 239, actions thereon and the identified timescale therefor. I reiterate that declaring Drum a PVA and agreeing a suitable Ditch Management Scheme would help considerably with managing flood risk in a separate or an extended target area.
Yours faithfully
Councillor Michael Barnacle
Ward 8 Kinross-shire