Scotland’s environment agency is in discussion with Government ministers over financial incentives which would encourage farmers to get involved in future flood defences.
Sepa chief executive Terry A’Hearn told the Farming Scotland conference in Carnoustie on Thursday that his organisation was having discussions on the next set of actions that could be taken to alleviate flooding.
Speaking in response to complaints that the tough financial climate made it hard for farmers to spend money on clearing ditches, Mr A’Hearn said Sepa would be looking at a range of mechanisms that might help.
“We know that in some senses the easy, or the obvious, things have been done,” he said. “Now have to look at what incentives we can put in place.
“Are there other buckets of European money that can be accessed? How can we structure our own incentive mechanisms to work?
“We need to sit down with the farmers union and others to work out possible approaches.”
Mr A’Hearn faced tough questioning on Sepa’s flood defence decision making, including the construction of a wall on the South Esk at Brechin.
Kinneff farmer Angus Jacobsen said: “Why go to the cost of putting a wall up when there is a gravel island with trees and shrubs growing in the middle of the river? Surely you could have dredged the river? Aren’t you putting the cart before the horse?”
Mr A’Hearn said without knowing about details of that decision, he was not sure why it had happened.
“There’s a programme of works for local resilience plans which include when walls get built and other things happen, so there could be plans to do something about removing the gravel,” he said.
“There may be a timing issue there. But the resilience plans look at actions that are appropriate.”
Retired Montrose farmer Brian Scanlan referred to the story in last Saturday’s Courier where Perthshire farmer James Haggart said Sepa had a “can’t do” attitude to repairs.
Mr A’Hearn said he would read the article.
“We’d hoped we’d moved to an approach where we’re telling people what they can do,” he said.
“He had a different experience from the one I’d like him to have.
“But there has to be trust between the two parties. There’s no magic solution.
“I’ve had many farmers say the opposite of that statement, so we’re getting a spectrum of responses. We’ll keep on building on the trust so those statements become the exception.”