City of Edinburgh's Council (CEC) designs for some local flood defences have been entered into the Planning system by their agent Arup Scotland.
Of interest to locals are schemes for the Colonies at Stockbridge (Ref. 10/03131/LBC), Warriston Crescent / Place (Ref. 10/03132/LBC), Warriston Viaduct (Ref. 10/03126/LBC) and Bonnington Bridge / Newhaven Road (Ref. 10/03128/LBC).
By the B-listed Colonies on Hugh Miller / Rintoul / Colville / Collins / Balmoral / Dunrobin / Teviotdale / Avondale and Kemp Places, CEC proposes to replace the existing flood wall separating the buildings from the river.
It plans to replace the existing boundary wall at A-listed 1–33 Warriston Crescent with a new flood wall, and – under the same application – to rebuild the flood wall beside 1–4 Warriston Place (Loon Fung and neighbours).
Work at B-listed Bonnington Bridge / Newhaven Road will involve replacement and modifications to existing floodwalls of the 'southern abutment'.
In the meantime, doubts have been raised about whether Edinburgh has enough money to pay for all this work. It is currently estimated that the cost of the project will reach £80m, this at a time when the Council desperately seeks savings.
And if anyone in City Chambers hopes to secure funds for this purpose from Holyrood, the omens are not good. Since 2007, local authorities have been expected to fund flood protection schemes from within the overall capital grant allocated by the Scottish Government. Just in the last few days, Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead warned MSPs that money is tight. In a joint letter with Deputy Roseanna Cunningham, he advised them to advise their constituents about 'the important role they have in protecting themselves, their families and properties from flooding.' That, to Spurtle's ears, rings like a coded endorsement of the Scottish sandbag and canoe-building industries.
Notwithstanding budget headaches, CEC's Environment Convener Gordon Mackenzie sounds bullish. Speaking at the opening of the Braid Burn scheme early last month he said: ' We now look forward to pressing ahead with the next phase of the Water of Leith works and bringing a similar level of protection to residents along its course'. Unfortunately, there exists a world of difference between 'looking forward to' and actually doing. In the meantime, many Broughton residents face an anxious winter.