Residents who fear their home is at risk of flooding are being urged to take part in a consultation that aims to provide communities with better protection.

The consultation has been launched by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), with a number of areas across Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire highlighted as being at risk.

Parts of Johnstone, Linwood, Houston, Bridge of Weir, 
Bishopton, Erskine and Paisley are included, with the main risk found to be from surface water flooding.

According to SEPA, the proximity of some properties to rivers such as the White Cart, Black Cart and Gryffe also creates a potential problem.

In East Renfrewshire, parts of Barrhead, Newton Mearns and Neilston have been identified as being at risk, again mainly due to the potential for surface water flooding and being close to the White Cart.

SEPA is now seeking views from the public to check if researchers have got the potentially vulnerable areas (PVAs) correct or if there are any that have been missed.

A spokesman for SEPA said: “PVAs are where significant flood risk exists now or is likely to occur in the future.
“They are a vital part of protecting people, properties, businesses, communities, infrastructure and our environment.

“Since 2011, when PVAs were first identified, SEPA and 
our partners have been working hard to improve data and methods of flood risk assessment.

“As a result, we now have new information. This has resulted in changes to the PVAs, which we want your opinion on, to check we’ve got it right.”

For each PVA identified, SEPA will produce flood risk maps for the area and identify actions to address the problem.

The spokesman added: “Not all parts of a PVA will be at risk of flooding. We use a catchment approach to set the boundaries.

“This means looking across whole river systems and coastal areas and using these natural boundaries.

“There will be some people and places outside of proposed PVAs at risk of flooding. Not being included in a PVA does not mean the risk of flooding is insignificant to the individual or that support will not be provided by flood risk authorities.”

To take part in the online survey, see: www.consultation.sepa.org.uk/evidence-and-flooding/pvas2018

All responses must be received before Tuesday, July 31.