A hard-hitting warning has been delivered to Angus residents they cannot ignore the cost of combatting climate change.
And the area’s council leader has said the spend will go “only one way” as the authority plans how to tackle a £9.5 million budget shortfall.
SNP group chief Bill Duff said money would have to be found for dealing with the impacts of climate change.
Rebuilding Brechin after Storm Babet, and the North Sea threat to Montrose beach, are big ticket demands on the public purse.
Budget consultation ‘disconnent’ on climate change
Mr Duff’s blunt message was in response to a budget consultation “disconnect” on the issue.
It asked residents for their views on protecting the area and the importance they placed on climate change actions.
Almost 350 of 439 responses ranked protecting the Angus environment as ‘important’ or ‘very important’.
But the figure plummeted around acting against climate change through a 2030 net-zero action plan.
Just over 200 ranked it as a priority.
Alongside 124 who were neutral on the issue, 52 said it was of ‘low importance’.
And 42 respondents dismissed it as ‘not important at all’.
The consultation said: “There was a tension between support for the preservation of the rural countryside and wildlife, and more action against flooding and erosion, with some resistance to net zero and low carbon initiatives indicated.
“This may suggest some members of the public do not yet connect the need to reduce damage caused by climate change, with actions taken in support of climate change mitigation.”
Leader warns on climate change cost
Kirriemuir councillor Julie Bell said: “I was quite shocked by the disconnect between people’s express views around the importance of climate change and the actual impact, the reality on the ground, for example, what’s happened in Brechin and other parts of this council area.”
Council leader Mr Duff said: “We all know the impact of climate change in Angus.
“There are some pretty obvious examples where the council are going to have to spend significant sums of money to deal with the impacts.
“While the public may feel it’s something they can ignore, it’s up to us to flag that a certain amount of our capital spending is dealing with the impacts, or mitigating the impacts.
“That spend is only going to go one way, and it’s up.”
Angus budget plans under consideration
The council’s policy and budget strategy group (PBSG) met on Thursday to formulate its spending plans.
Finance director Ian Lorimer has warned the budget gap will be around £9.5m this year.
The likely outcome is a combination of a council tax rise, charging increases and service cuts.
It would require a 15% hike to plug the gap using council tax alone.
The council is yet to decide the future of 60 Brechin homes still empty 15 months on from Storm Babet.
Cost estimates for building elsewhere, or reinstating the damaged houses, range from £8m to £18m.
But no decision has yet been taken on the way forward.
And a possible £20m price tag has been put on protecting Montrose from the North Sea.
At present there is no firm timeframe or funding promises for a scheme to halt the alarming erosion of the coastline and the threat of flood corridors opening up.
Conversation