An Inverclyde Convener has called for an action group to tackle flooding.

Flooding from the watercourses across Inverclyde causes disruption to residents, damage to property and forces road closures.

Last December, severe flooding caused chaos after heavy rain and unusually high tides.

Inverclyde Council allocated £100,000 in last year's budget to commission a Flood Plan which would consider all the sources of flood risk in the area, collate all available information in a database, set out the flood risks of each watercourse and put forward suggestions to reduce the risk of flooding occurring.

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Councillor Robert Moran said: "What the Flood Plan will make clear is that some issues are not the sole responsibility of the Council. Watercourses run across land owned by a variety of companies and individuals. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to alleviate the significant flooding problems we have."

A report to the Safe, Sustainable Communities Committee recommends forming a Flood Risk Management Working Group, consisting of representatives from the various agencies and landowners, to address the collective responsibility of flood risk management within Inverclyde.

Councillor Moran added: "The simple fact is we need to get all partners on board to find a way forward. It is an incredibly complex and costly process but we have to do something.

"We estimate it would take nearly £3 million to reduce the risk of flooding from the Hole and Carts Burns alone when of course there are many other watercourses in Inverclyde. "The experts say it would cost £1 million a year just to monitor the situation accurately. We intend opening discussions with the Scottish Government as well to find a way forward. I hope the committee will back the recommendation."

(GK/KMcA)