Flooding in Scotland: A consultation on Potentially Vulnerable Areas and Local Plan Districts

For the first time in Scotland, a National Flood Risk Assessment has taken place which provides a detailed picture of flooding impacts across Scotland.  The new national assessment has considered all sources of flooding to identify the areas at the greatest risk to the cumulative effects of flooding, both now and in the future.  The National Flood Risk Assessment has identified that in Scotland one in 20 homes and one in 14 businesses are at risk of flooding.

The assessment will enable national and local government, and other organisations with a responsibility for flood risk management, to develop a co-ordinated approach to tackle flooding more effectively.  This will help Scotland become more resilient to the impacts of flooding.

SEPA's Flooding in Scotland:  A consultation on Potentially Vulnerable Areas and Local Plan Districts ( 4.5mb), closed on Monday 15 August.  This consultation sought views on how the National Flood Risk Assessment identifies areas for flood risk management planning.  The consultation was launched by the Minister for the Environment, Stewart Stevenson MSP, at the Braid Burn in Edinburgh on Wednesday 15 June.  

Proposals for Potentially Vulnerable Areas and Local Plan Districts

SEPA has incorporated information and responses from the consultation into the National Flood Risk Assessment and has reviewed Potentially Vulnerable Areas and Local Plan Districts.

On Thursday 22 September SEPA submitted proposals for Potentially Vulnerable Areas and Local Plan Districts to Scottish Ministers.  You can download the proposals for your area from the table below.  This submission also includes a summary of responses to the consultation and a summary of actions taken by SEPA ( 540Kb). 

Local Plan District PDF
1. Highland and Argyll  (4.93Mb)
2. Outer Hebrides  (1.22Mb)
3. Orkney  (1.02Mb)
4. Shetland  (691Mb)
5. Findhorn, Nairn and Speyside  (1.91Mb)
6. North East

 (3.22Mb)
7. Tay Estuary  (2.66Mb)
8. Tay  (2.42Mb)
9. Forth  (1.76Mb)
10. Forth Estuary  (4Mb)
11. Clyde  (3.27Mb)
12. Ayrshire  (2.51Mb)
13. Tweed  (1.9Mb)
14. Solway  (2.95Mb)

SEPA has also prepared maps of Scotland showing Local Plan Districts ( 2.58Mb) and Potentially Vulnerable Areas ( 4.78Mb).  High resolution versions of these maps are available from the flood risk management planning team.

Next steps

Following SEPA’s submission to Scottish Ministers a revised National Flood Risk Assessment will be published in December 2011.  The finalised set of Potentially Vulnerable Areas and Local Plan Districts will also be published by SEPA and the Scottish Government in December 2011.

If you have any enquiries relating to the consultation or SEPA's submission to Ministers, please contact the flood risk management planning team:

  • Email: floodactconsultation@sepa.org.uk
  • Writing:  Flood Risk Management Planning Team, FRM Act Consultation, SEPA, Clearwater House, Heriot-Watt Research Park, Avenue North, Riccarton, Edinburgh, EH14 4AP