Reservoir Safety in Scotland: An Analysis of Consultation Responses

Abstract

The Scottish Government plans to amend reservoir safety legislation, and this report sets out the views and opinions of parties who responded to the consultation document and its proposals for new Reservoir Safety Legislation.

The new legislation would contribute to the Scottish Government’s Safer and stronger strategic objective, one of five which seek to underpin the Scottish Government’s purpose and describe the kind of Scotland we all want to live in.

The new legislation would:
• Introduce a more risk-based approach to the reservoir safety regime;
• Include Regulations to take forward the implementation of Part 7 of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, hereafter referred to as the 2009 Act; and
• Provide greater security for people, property and critical infrastructure from the risk of flooding from reservoirs.

The consultation ran from 25 January to 18 April 2010. Sixty-seven written responses to the consultation were received, and in combination with data from four public workshops, this report considers the views of cross-sectoral representatives to produce an independent analysis of responses from the consultation process.