New flood protection plans up for approval

£25m scheme would see embankments and walls built

Nearly £25 million looks set to be spent on a radical flood defence plan to safeguard hundreds of homes and businesses in rural Perthshire.

Councillors are poised to give the go-ahead to the long-awaited Comrie Flood Protection Scheme.

It follows severe flooding in 2012 which left homes under water and sparked a major rescue effort.

A study estimated flooding damage in Comrie alone costs the region around £2 million a year.

The area is at the meeting point of three large rivers – the Water of Ruchill, the Earn and the River Lednock – and there has been a long history of flooding, particularly in the Dalginross area.

Next week, councillors will be asked to approve the £24.6 million protection plan, which will involve the creation of about two miles of flood walls and more than 3,000ft of embankments.

A range of alternative options was considered, including £35 million of dredging and an upstream floodwater store valued at nearly £70 million.

In a report to the environment, enterprise and infrastructure committee, senior engineer Peter Dickson said emergency works approved five years ago did reduce the risk of flooding from the Water of Ruchill.

“However, the wider flood risk from the River Earn and River Lednock remains, as does the combined flood risk from all three rivers,” he said. “It is estimated that approximately 290 residential properties and businesses are still at risk of flooding in Comrie.”

The Scottish Government has pledged £19.7 million towards the plan, with the council expected to make up the remaining £4.9 million.

The scheme has been shaped by locals, many who were hit by flooding at the end of 2015.

Among those affected was Lochtay Drive resident George McGregor, whose garden was left underwater during storms over the Christmas period.

The 75-year-old said: “I’ve had a look at the plans they are proposing and it looks like a good move forward.

“The walls they are proposing are much higher than the level the water usually rises to, so they should be effective.”

Mr McGregor, who said flooding issues had pushed up his insurance costs, added: “The main thing for us here is that flooding in Comrie is finally being recognised as an issue.

“For a long time, it felt like our problems were being ignored.”

The proposed work would provide protection from a one-in-200-year flood, the type which caused devastation in Alyth in 2015.

A study also highlights potential disadvantages of the scheme, including a “possible negative visual impact” while accesses at some locations may have to be modified. Councillors will be asked on Wednesday to agree the preferred option of walls and embankments.

A detailed plan for construction will then be drawn up.

The main thing for us here is that flooding in Comrie is finally being recognised as an issue. For a long time, it felt like our problems were being ignored