Over the coming weeks and months, you may see people surveying in and around the Whitesands in Dumfries. The site is being investigated to record underground features such as utilities, services, archaeology and geology. Above ground, the team will look at lighting, CCTV and buildings.This work is necessary to develop the current design proposal into a more technical, engineered flood protection scheme. It is hoped that this scheme will be submitted for approval to the Scottish Government towards the end of 2014.

In September 2012, the Council held a community-led design workshop or ‘charrette’ to examine the potential flood solutions for the Whitesands. The result of this process was a Whitesands Regeneration Masterplan, which captured ideas from participants on ways to combat flooding and regenerate the Whitesands area.

Since the charrette, our Council has held update meetings with the local community in both April and September last year to hear views on the emerging design proposal.

Over the coming months, everyone will have the opportunity to comment again on the scheme before it is submitted for approval and in addition, the Council will be running workshops with those who will be directly affected by the works.

The current design proposal features a bund or banking which separates the river from the Whitesands area creating an attractive, green riverside environment that enhances the river setting as one of the town’s greatest assets. At the top of the bund would be an elevated walkway from which enhanced views of the river could be enjoyed. In other locations, a combination of permanent and temporary structures would form the protection measures.

Our Council will also be undertaking a public consultation exercise in the near future on the draft Whitesands Masterplan together with an Environmental Assessment Report. The consultation will last 8 weeks and copies of both documents will be available to view in due course. Further information will be advertised in the next few weeks.

Councillor Colin Smyth, Chairman of the Council’s Economy, Environment and Infrastructure Committee said
“This is a big step forward in our efforts to protect the town from flooding. Funding is still very much in the hands of the Scottish Government but this work is needed to ensure we are able to hit the ground running should funding be approved.”

For more information on the Whitesands Project, please visit the Whitesands Project page on the Dumfries and Galloway Council website: www.dumgal.gov.uk/economicdevelopment and then click on ‘Dumfries: Regional Capital’ and then on ’Whitesands’.