Concerns raised over £2,500 support grant for Renfrewshire businesses flooded during Storm Boelo

Concerns have been expressed over the level of Scottish Government funding on offer to businesses in Renfrew affected by flooding during Storm Boelo.

The climate secretary has made financial support of £2,500 available to eligible traders who suffered damage in last month’s adverse weather event.

The “flat rate” was communicated by officers to elected members at a special meeting of Renfrewshire Council held on Monday.

Speaking afterwards, Labour group leader Iain McMillan said: “During the meeting, we heard very concerning estimates of the value of the damage done to businesses in Renfrew.

“So far, the Scottish Government has offered a flat rate of £2,500 worth of compensation and we are alarmed that this offer is so low, considering the extent of the damage.

“We will be monitoring and scrutinising these developments closely.”

At the emergency summit, an officer coordinating support for businesses spoke about a meeting held with the Scottish Government and confirmed a “flat rate” of £2,500.

They also explained the estimated losses suffered by traders during Storm Boelo ranged in value from £2,000 to £300,000.

When contacted, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As a result of the significant impacts of Storm Boelo, the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs activated the flood recovery framework to provide financial support to help impacted communities and businesses.

“This allows for grants of up to £500 for eligible households, and up to £2,500 for eligible businesses, and we are currently working with Renfrewshire Council on the delivery of these recovery grants.”

A motion submitted by the Labour group at the meeting, which called for a report on the local authority’s response to Storm Boelo and the impact of flooding in Renfrew, passed after a vote.

Councillor Andy Doig, who represents Johnstone North and the surrounding villages, felt this should be extended to consider other areas in Renfrewshire but his amendment was not accepted. “Flood events do not magically stop at the Renfrew/Paisley border,” he said afterwards.

Last week, the council pledged to undertake a “comprehensive review” of its flood prevention arrangements after barriers were not activated in Renfrew in the face of Storm Boelo.

It will look to learn lessons from the night of Saturday, October 24, when water spilled out of the River Clyde during a Met Office amber warning for wind.

It insisted forecasts “significantly underestimated” tidal levels, adding no flood warning was issued by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) for the town.

At the time, SEPA confirmed it was reviewing the flooding event in Renfrew, alongside the council and other partners. A spokesperson said: “It is important that resilience partners take all opportunities to share learning in anticipation of severe weather events becoming more prevalent and impactful in Scotland.”

This week, a council spokesperson added: “We acknowledge this has been an especially difficult time for businesses who experienced flooding during the recent Storm Boelo.

“The council has offered assistance in various ways since the storm and we have made contact with all 13 business premises affected.

“We are in the process of fact finding and asking businesses to estimate their losses in order we can provide as full a picture as possible to the Scottish Government which has activated its flood recovery framework.

“We remain in dialogue with the Scottish Government and the affected businesses to assist as much as we can with their recovery.”