Dumfries and Galloway councillors at the meeting of Environment, Economy and Infrastructure committee today (10 November 2015) agreed a flood protection and regeneration scheme for the Whitesands.
Councillors unanimously approved the Raised Walkway design which was presented to the committee as the optimal design.
Feedback from the recent consultation were presented to the committee. Councillors were also informed that the survey showed a strong consensus in favour of a scheme that incorporates both flood protection and regeneration.
The Council has been consulting on the project since 2012 and a further round of public consultation took place during October. This included meetings with interest groups, an open public event in the former Baker’s Oven shop in Dumfries High Street, a presentation to Nithsdale Area Committee, information available online, and a survey. Speaking at the committee, Chair Cllr Colin Smyth, highlighted to councillors that since the original proposals there has been significant refinement which has taken into account what the public wanted. The Raised Walkway design Protects the Whitesands, regenerates the area, maintains river views and provides useable public space.
Chairman of the Environment, Economy and Infrastructure committee, Councillor Colin Smyth, said, “It is unacceptable that Dumfries is the largest town in Scotland that doesn’t have a proper flood protection scheme. Councillors have rightly said enough is enough- that needs to change. The unanimous support from Councillors for the Raised Walkway design reflects the growing consensus that this is by far the strongest option which not only protects the Whitesands from flooding but also regenerates the area. However, crucially it achieves this in a way that improves the views of the river and increases the overall level of car parking in and around the Whitesands. Councilors recognised that as a result of the public consultation the proposals have changed significantly and the option of a large embankment has been dropped. I would urge the public to now take a look at what has actually been agreed”.
“A lot has been said in recent months about the so-called rising barrier alternative but understandably it received no support from any councillor. Such a proposal would have meant brick walls on both sides of the river ranging from 1 to 3 metres high and around every 10 metres you would have 3m high poles sticking up. If we were to build such a scheme you would have had to close the car park alongside the river for two years during construction with no alternative car parking proposed . That would devastate businesses in the area. Proper estimates also showed that a rising barrier option would be significantly more expensive costing between £18m and £26m.”
Vice Chairman of the committee, Councillor Craig Peacock said “The flooding issues at the Whitesands have plagued our regional capital for far too long. We need to make the Whitesands an area that will attract people to the area for a variety of reasons, such as recreation, spending time and enjoying the facilities, and what the shops have to offer. Our Council has invested heavily in the Dock Park in recent years. It has won a number of awards. We want to extend this vision right along the Whitesands, making the whole area somewhere that people can come and enjoy. It’s now time to get on with the job, develop the detailed plans and put forward our bid for Scottish Government funding so we have a regeneration project that will help transform the Whitesands and Dumfries”.
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