News / Flood repairs fund
SHETLAND Islands Council leader Gary Robinson says the local authority says it is assessing the level of damage caused by torrential rain and landslides at the weekend before deciding whether to apply for a government repairs fund.
The islands were drenched in more rainfall on Saturday alone than that which normally falls in the whole of August.
According to the Met Office, Fair Isle was the wettest place in the UK with 128.4mm of rainfall in a single day compared to an average of 80mm per month.
Emergency services and council roads engineers were kept busy by landslides in Levenwick, Maywick, Weisdale, Heylor and at Dales Lees on Saturday night.
Now isles MSP Tavish Scott has written to SIC chief executive Mark Boden encouraging the council to take advantage of the emergency Bellwin scheme to help local authorities deal with the costs of flood damage.
The Scottish Government’s scheme provides financial assistance to councils faced with an undue financial burden as a result of recent flooding.
A number of domestic properties in Shetland are threatened by coastal erosion, including areas such as Meal beach and Cunningsburgh, which Scott said were particularly vulnerable to severe floods.
“This week, Shetland saw some of the heaviest downpours in recent memory with severe flooding causing numerous problems including property damage, road closures and several large landsides,” the MSP said.
“In previous years as a minister in the last Lib-Lab Scottish Government, I responded to the councils’ need for extra assistance and I would hope this government will follow suit.”
Scott said it was important that any Shetlanders needing assistance should receive it.
He added: “Such severe weather and the flooding it causes can have a devastating impact on communities, both physically and financially, and can put a great strain on our emergency services who have been deservedly praised for their tremendous efforts over the weekend.”
Robinson responded by saying: “We’re assessing the level of damage to our public infrastructure and will take a decision accordingly.”
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