A local councillor believes Dundee Airport could be at risk of flooding after a major coastal protection project was halted.
Kevin Keenan, Labour councillor for Strathmartine says flooding at the nearby Riverside Recycling centre highlights the need for a revetment (sloping wall) on the Tay’s banks near the airport and at the City Quay.
Funding of £4 million for this was slashed last week as part of the city council’s revised capital plan budget, in which a total of £23 million was cut because of construction inflation.
The work was to be “match-funded” between the council and the Scottish Government as part of a strategy overseen by Sepa (The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.)
Due to soaring costs, the Scottish Government is now uncertain when its side of the funding will be available.
According to the committee’s papers, the revetment would provide protection
against “a one in 200 year flood”.
‘Not protecting the asset’
Mr Keenan says he is unhappy with assurances that the airport’s buildings won’t flood and that the council’s decision-making doesn’t “join-up”.
He said: “The airport receives enormous amounts of public funds and can expect to receive a further £9m in the future via the Tay Cities Deal.
“If the airport is vital for Dundee given the climate emergency…then why are the SNP administration not proceeding with the coastal protection works and not protecting the asset?”
Mr Keenan joked: “It might well be that the administration have a plan to upgrade the airport for the landing of seaplanes when it suffers from future flooding.”
‘Evidence buildings won’t flood?’
The council’s city development head Robin Presswood suggested last week that its share could be found in the future but it would be best to wait on “certainty” on when government cash would arrive.
The issue will be discussed as part of Monday evening’s online session of the council’s city development committee.
Mr Keenan has asked council officers for further detail on the possible impact of halting flood defences alongside the Riverside Drive stretch of the Tay in front of the airport.
He said: “There’s a flooding issue at the Riverside Recycling Centre area.
“The response I got about the airport (from council officers) was ‘the buildings wouldn’t flood.'”
Asked if he’d been provided with evidence that the buildings wouldn’t flood, Mr Keenan explained: “I’m trying to get officers to explain that to me in more detail.”
“If the operational side of the airport is, inoperable, then the buildings serve little purpose other than holding people while they’re waiting on a flight.
“I’m hoping they increase the comfort levels for people waiting on a flight…so they sit in a comfy chair while the water subsides.”
He concluded: “If you’re money’s tight, then the decisions that we make must be joined-up, (they) must make absolute sense in every kind of way.”
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