Decision Maker: Formartine Area Committee

Outcome: Approve

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: May 20, 2025

Purpose: Climate change has significantly increased the risk of coastal erosion and flooding across Aberdeenshire. As a result, Aberdeenshire Council’s Flooding Team were instructed to lead on the Aberdeenshire Regional Coastal Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP), which would set out the strategy for dealing with this risk. Following a competitive tender process, JBA Consulting were appointed as consultants to assist with this task. Area Committee is asked to consider and provide comments to Infrastructure Services Committee on the Regional Coastal Change Adaptation Plan in advance of ISC Committee Meeting on 19th June 2025.

Content: The Committee provided the following comments to Infrastructure Services Committee:   a)    There has been the withdrawal of the SSSI designation at Menie Estate but we still need to protect the moving system, b)    It would be helpful to identify and map landfill sites in the surrounding area, c)    We need to consider extreme weather and wave erosion, as significant damage is possible, d)    What cognisance and weighting is given to what happens further up the coast? e)    In terms of committed delivery, what is our time period? f)      Is there national funding available for this?   Members also commented that it may be appropriate to liaise with the Balmedie Country Park group, but it was noted that it would be more appropriate for this to happen once local plans were in place for consideration.