As the season change and at the start of autumn, Angus Council has today (3 September 2024) allocated uncommitted reserves towards the cost of storm damage from earlier this year, and just over £0.5m to prepare for weather events in the coming months.
The council had some £470,000 of unbudgeted costs from Storms Isha and Jocelyn from January 2024, and is utilising an improved reserves position to address the costs of road repairs it has incurred.
In addition, the council has allocated a further £530,000 to its Roads & Transportation revenue budget to prepare and mitigate the impact of potential future storms on the county’s road infrastructure and thereby residents and businesses.
The money will be used for additional drainage and watercourse works to mitigate storm impacts on the transport network, along with some additional road repairs. The funding will also allow some additional resources in response to any flood incidents or adverse weather events, including potential support for community resilience. The public can help by continuing to report any blocked drains via the council’s website: Report a blocked drain.
Cllr Mark McDonald, Communities Convener said, “I know everyone in Angus is holding their breath for the next winter and while we all hope it won’t be nearly so severe, we should all be thinking about what actions we can take to reduce the impact that bad weather can have on our lives and on our communities.
“This positive, proactive use of £1 million uncommitted reserves will help support the people of Angus and continue our recovery from the atrocious storms of Winter 23/24.”
As the council prepares for the change of season and the potential impact of storms, property owners are reminded that they are primary responsible for the protection of their property from flooding and should likewise prepare for the potential weather impacts. Previous years have seen Angus communities impacted by gales, excessive rainfall, as well as colder temperatures. Property owners can help reduce the impact of these weather events by considering their resilience to storms, power cuts etc. ahead of them occurring. Advice and guidance can be found on the Ready Scotland website.