Dumfries and Galloway Councillors at the meeting of Environment, Economy and Infrastructure committee (10 November 2015) will be asked to consider the next steps for the Whitesands project and agree a preferred option for a flood protection scheme.
The Council has been consulting on the project since 2012 and a further round of public consultation took place during October. This included meetings with interest groups, an open public event in the former Baker’s Oven shop in Dumfries High Street, a presentation to Nithsdale Area Committee, information available online, and a survey.
Following analysis of the feedback, the results will be presented to the committee.
The committee will be informed that, based on the development work following the engagement sessions held on January 2015, issues around providing car parking have been addressed. The new proposals also address issues regarding the visual impact of the flood defences.
The results of the most recent survey show a strong consensus in favour of a scheme that incorporates both flood protection and regeneration. There is also an acknowledgement that changes to car parking arrangements and the impact on current views should not prevent a flood protection scheme being progressed.
Chairman of the Environment, Economy and Infrastructure committee, Councillor Colin Smyth, said, “Councillors have consistently voted unanimously in favour of investing in a solution for the Whitesands. The Scottish Government has also made clear that it will prioritise tackling the problem of flooding on the Whitesands. After all, Dumfries is the largest town in Scotland that still floods on a regular basis but doesn’t have a flood protection scheme. After a consultation process that has stretched on for three years, it is now time for councillors to take a decision and make clear the way forward. We know that options such as dredging and flooding upstream have been thoroughly investigated and, unfortunately, simply do not provide a solution. However, Councillors will have the opportunity to consider options that not only will tackle flooding but also regenerate the Whitesands. As a direct result of the extensive public consultation those proposals have changed significantly. For example, the proposal for a raised walkway solution will mean improved views of the river and an increase in the overall number of free car parking spaces in the town. We now have the opportunity to once and for all grab the chance to deal with a problem that has plagued Dumfries and regenerate an area of our town that has been neglected for far too long.”
Vice Chairman of the committee, Councillor Craig Peacock said “We want to make the Whitesands an area that businesses want to come and invest in. We need to make the Whitesands an area that is aesthetically pleasing, that will attract people to the area for a variety of reasons, such as recreation, spending time and enjoying the facilities, and what the shops have to offer. Our Council has invested heavily in the Dock Park in recent years. It has won a number of awards. We want to extend this vision right along the Whitesands, making the whole area somewhere that people can come and enjoy.”
