National Flood Resilience Strategy: implementation report 2021 - 2025

Annex B - Hierarchy of responsibility for managing flood risk

Property and business owners

Responsible for:

• managing their own risks
• protecting their family, property, or business

The Scottish Government

Responsible for:

• overseeing the implementation of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 including:
• setting the Policy Framework for flood management
• approving the objectives and actions set out in the Flood Risk Management Plans

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

Responsible for:

• undertaking flood forecasting and provide warnings to the public and emergency responders when flooding is likely
• producing Scotland’s strategic Flood Risk Management Plans
• providing flood risk advice to Planning Authorities

Local councils

Responsible for:

• producing Local Flood Risk Management Plans which set out how actions in the SEPA plans will be implemented
• implementing and maintaining flood protection schemes
• inspecting, clearing and repairing watercourses and gullies on public highways to reduce flood risk
• coordinating emergency response within their own functions e.g. housing, etc. working with other key responders to support local communities
• holding particular responsibilities in respect of council owned properties

Scottish Water

Responsible for:

• operating public foul and combined sewers and the public waste water network
• managing problems caused by sewers either flooding or becoming restricted due to chokes or collapses
• removing foul drainage and the drainage of rainwater from roofs and paved areas, from within the curtilage of premises, on connection to the public sewer