Council identifies actions to reduce risk of flooding in Perth

Building on years of detailed investigations into local flood risk, the Perth SWMP forms part of the wider schedule of Flood Risk Management Actions under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 and is specifically referenced within the Tay Local Flood Risk Management Plan.

The SWMP confirms that surface water flooding remains a significant challenge for Perth, with modelling indicating that approximately 22% of the city’s overall flood risk is linked to heavy rains overwhelming drains and causing local watercourses and flow paths to overflow.

Climate change is expected to increase this risk substantially over time. The SWMP identified 60 flooding ‘hotspots’ across Perth, highlighting areas most vulnerable to extreme rainfall events.

Following extensive analysis, a range of potential approaches were considered to mitigate surface water flood risk.

These included actions such as disconnecting surface water from combined sewer systems and introducing sustainable drainage solutions (SuDS).

After detailed technical, environmental and economic appraisal, two viable priority opportunities were identified at Whitefriars Industrial Park and the Dewars Centre/Perth Leisure Pool site.

Both locations offer scope for retrofitting SuDS and disconnecting surface water from the Scottish Water combined sewer network, delivering significant reductions in annualised flood damages and wider benefits for the city’s drainage infrastructure.

Other actions explored as part of the plan included creating greenspace attenuation areas at Millennium Park and fields near Murray Royal, improving storage capacity at Muirton, and upgrading conveyance routes at Queens Avenue.

Opportunities for disconnection and SuDS were also assessed at sites such as Rannoch Road and Oakbank Road. While not all options were deemed feasible at this stage, the Perth SWMP provides a foundation for future interventions and highlights the importance of integrating flood risk management into development planning and partnership working with other agencies.

Councillor Richard Watters, convener of the council’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, said: “It is important to stress that these actions represent only part of a broader suite of measures required to prevent and mitigate flooding.

“There is no single solution that will prevent flooding – we must adopt a layered approach to protect as many residents as possible.

“The SWMP also recommends continued effective application of relevant planning policies to ensure new developments incorporate surface water management, alongside encouraging property-level flood resilience measures such as flood doors and automatic air brick covers. These steps, combined with ongoing Scottish Water investment projects and future development opportunities, will help strengthen Perth’s resilience to flooding.”