PEEBLES residents have been told to brace themselves for more flooding this winter after last year’s problems.

The town was among the areas worst affected by heavy rain at the end of October 2021.

At a full council meeting last week, elected members approved a report detailing the progress made in flood management in the Borders from 2016-2022.

Tweeddale East councillor Robin Tatler described the papers as “great” but told the chamber to “be under no illusion, we still have issues with flooding”.

“We still have issues, particularly in the Tweed Valley and particularly in Peebles,” said Mr Tatler, part of the resilience team which offered support during last year’s extreme weather.

“There’s work that still needs to be done and the issue will be about the funding and whether that funding will be forthcoming.

“Last year we came very close to having a serious flooding issue in Peebles and I don’t doubt that in this coming winter we will have similar issues. It has not gone away.”

Scotland’s Local Flood Risk Management Plans (LFRMPs) show how flooding will be managed over a six-year cycle, including funding and the timetable for delivery.

The council’s approval of final reports for the Tweed, Solway and Forth Estuary LFRMP was needed for national publication by December 2022.

Flood protection schemes have been implemented in Borders towns such as Galashiels and Hawick.

The council ran a joint consultation with SEPA from July to October last year on the flood risk in a number of locations.

A flood protection scheme for Peebles was put forward as part of the consultation.

Whether Peebles gets its own scheme in the next cycle from 2022-2028 is dependent on Scottish Government funding which has yet to be determined, according to council documents.

At the meeting, Mr Tatler added: “We still need to tackle flooding and we still need to tackle flooding particularly in the Tweed Valley and in Peebles. It’s a great report but let’s keep the pressure on and let’s get the funding for the next stage of work.”

Fellow Tweeddale East councillor Julie Pirone, of the Conservatives, agreed with Mr Tatler and also called for better communication with communities about how to protect homes and businesses.

She said: “There’s a lot more work we could be doing to communicate with communities about what they can do to protect themselves and protect their properties.

“The report is excellent but we need to do a little bit more work on how we can tell people or direct them to get their own help so that everyone is prepared.

“We have got a lot better in this country at planning for flooding and being ready for flooding but we also need to make sure that everybody in every community is empowered to take their own action and know what they have to do when bad flooding occurs.”

Tweeddale West councillor Drummond Begg, of the Liberal Democrats, said a Peebles constituent had been unable to access support from the council.

“It’s a small business with a small area exposed to the riverbank and therefore flooding,” said Mr Begg. “This business has not been able to find support through the many different schemes that have appeared, and come and gone.

“It’s an example where we can have visionary reports and a focus on large schemes but actually when it comes back to specific areas of flooding the scheme doesn’t seem to have the flexibility to support businesses in this way.”

Scottish Borders Council lists ways residents can “help themselves” on its website which include signing up for flood alert messages from SEPA and SB Alert, and purchasing discounted flood protection products.