Borders to receive £1.6m to manage flooding

The First Minister revealed the plans as part of a 10-year national scheme, designed to protect more than 10,000 homes at risk from damage.

The announcement, made during the SNP leader’s visit to Dumfries and Galloway on Monday, comes after the majority of the Borders were seriously affected by storms Desmond, Frank and Gertrude just months ago.

In June several streets in Innerleithen were left under around a foot of water and in December last year the River Tweed burst its banks forcing Peebles residents to evacuate their homes.

The Flood Protection Strategy is backed by a £420m grant and follows the agreement between the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and will be used to set up 40 new flood protection projects across Scotland, to make local authorities more equipped to deal with the downpours.

The funding also comes after the Peeblesshire News reported last week that Scottish Borders Council have published its first ever “local flood risk management plans”, so residents can see where the money is being spent.

During the visit to Newton Stewart, Mrs Sturgeon said: "Earlier this year I saw first hand the devastating effects of mother nature as storms battered our communities.

"Last December is on record as the wettest and saw levels at rivers across Scotland overflow," she added.

“This agreement will give local authorities the certainty they need to deliver the actions set out in their local flood risk management plans to help protect individuals, business and communities from the danger of flooding.”

The Scottish Government also vowed to carry out more than 130 protection studies, to help find solutions to potential properties at risk.

The council also announced last week that Borders towns will continue to see investment in their flood defences and are to be managed and funded up until 2022.

The plans have been released online and can be viewed at: www.scotborders.gov.uk/floodplans