Scottish government ignored council’s pleas after flood devastation

A council chief overseeing the recovery effort in Scottish communities devastated by floods complained the SNP government ignored her for two weeks while Humza Yousaf was publicly pledging his support.

Emails released under the Freedom of Information Act show Angus Council pleading with the Scottish Government to help the area recover from the devastation caused by Storm Babet.

The First Minister visited Brechin on Oct 23 pledging support for the community after the River South Esk breached flood defences, causing millions of pounds of damage to homes and businesses.

But Margo Williamson, the council’s chief executive, wrote to the Scottish Government two days later questioning Mr Yousaf’s claim during the visit that his administration was working with the local authority to help.

In an extraordinary intervention that appeared to question whether Mr Yousaf was telling the public the truth, she said: “I clearly did not want to say otherwise but I am unaware of any contact from officers in Government to outline what might be possible.”

Ms Williamson wrote again to the Scottish Government on Oct 31 stating: “It is concerning almost two weeks on, that no officer in Scottish Government has contacted myself to ask how we are coping as a Council or discuss how Scottish Government can lean into the recovery phase of Storm Babet.”

On Nov 2 – two weeks after the storm – she was offered a “15 minute catch-up” with Sean Neill, the Scottish Government’s director of local government and housing and a meeting with council officials was finally held the following day.

First Minister Humza Yousaf visits Brechin to thank members of the emergency services and Angus Council on Oct 23 – Andrew Milligan / PA

“There is frustration at official level about the gap between the need for the central and local government to work together on recovery and visible actions,” the official minute of the talks noted.

The documents, which were obtained by the Tories, emerged amid mounting anger among residents and business about the lack of support they have received from the SNP-Green government in Edinburgh.

The Scottish Government has offered grants of £1,500 for damage to homes and property and £3,000 for businesses. Angus Council has been given an extra £100,000 for its homelessness budget to help families who have lost everything.

But local opposition councillors have attacked the sums as “derisory” and claimed millions of pounds of promised help have yet to materialise. The ruling SNP administration on Angus Council survived a vote of no confidence this week.

‘Full of promises but no action’

Stephen Kerr, a Scottish Conservative MSP and the party’s UK general election candidate for Angus & Perthshire Glens, questioned how Mr Yousaf could have publicly claimed his government was working with the council “when clearly it wasn’t.”

Accusing the SNP of being “full of promises but no action”, he said: “The people of Angus, especially Brechin, will be very angry. They have been offered next to no help to respond to the immediate aftermath of the storm.

“Not a penny has been promised to help Angus recover and improve the flood defences of affected areas, a cost Angus Council says is going to be in the many millions.”

Storm Babet on Oct 19 this year was the wettest day the Angus area had experienced since records began, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of homes and businesses.

Rescue workers from the coastguard escort Brechin residents to safety as the River South Esk breaks its banks – Iain Masterton / Edinburgh International Festival

Brechin’s flood defence wall was built to protect the town from waters 3.8m above normal river levels but the storm brought 5m.

Many homes and businesses were not covered by insurance for floods due to previous incidents, while those that were have seen their premiums surge.

During his Oct 23 visit, Mr Yousaf told BBC Scotland discussions would continue with the local authority over the coming “days, weeks and months” about what support his government could provide.

“I’m hoping my being here so quickly after that terrible weather event is a demonstration the government at the highest level will be involved in discussions with Angus Council to help as much as we possibly can,” he said.

‘I am unaware of any contact from officers in Government’

Two days later, Ms Williamson wrote to Louise Macdonald, the Scottish Government’s director-general communities, stating that Angus and “particularly Brechin has suffered terribly over the past week.”

She said: “The FM visited on Monday and said several times, that Government were working with Angus on support for the people of Brechin.

“I clearly did not want to say otherwise but I am unaware of any contact from officers in Government to outline what might be possible.”

In a follow-up letter to Ms Macdonald on Oct 31, Ms Williamson said her previous email had been passed to the Scottish Government’s resilience team but “we need far more” than that group could provide.

Although she said the Bellwin scheme for financial assistance had been activated, she said this was designed “for emergency response rather than recovery and much as it is appreciated it does not address the challenges Angus is facing now and in the immediate future.”

Ms Williamson then noted that no Scottish Government official had been in touch in the fortnight since the storm to discuss the area’s recovery and warned the latter would be “significant in terms of budget and timescales.”

Storm Babet on Oct 19 was the Angus area’s wettest day since records began – Jeff J Mitchell / Getty

Scottish Government and Angus Council officials agreed details on Nov 3 for setting up a taskforce to oversee the recovery efforts. Its membership includes Ms Williamson and Deputy First Minister Shona Robison.

On Oct 24 the Scottish Government emailed the council to state that Public Finance Minister Tom Arthur had “ activated the Bellwin Scheme and your potential claim has been noted and added to our tracker.”

An Angus Council spokeswoman said that “since the chief executive’s letter” the taskforce has been set up and the grants of £1,500 per household and £3,000 per business announced.

A Scottish Government spokesman said it “has been committed throughout to supporting local recovery efforts – the Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce was established to co-ordinate and support on both the immediate recovery response and longer-term issues.

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