Flooding sparks safety concerns
Kilmahog Woollen Mill worry over traffic hazards
Flooding problems outside a Trossachs store are causing a traffic hazard and affecting trade according to management.
Kilmahog’s Trossachs Woollen Mill said the source of the problem is tree roots in a culvert underneath the adjacent A84 and the shop’s car park.
Flooding began last October and on one occasion sandbags had to be placed at the store’s front door during heavy rainfall. The most recent flooding incident occurred at the start of last month.
Road management firm BEAR Scotland and Scottish Water have been looking into the issue.
Trossachs Woollen Mill property maintenance administrator Margaret Brown said: “There is a severe traffic hazard at the entrance with vehicles intending to turn in to the car park, slowing down and partially blocking the main road while weighing up the risk of driving through the flood. There is high potential for a serious road traffic accident.”
The Woollen Mill said the cause of the flooding is tree roots within a drainage culvert underneath the A84 road and their car park.
Ms Brown added: “Initially, we thought that the issue would be easily resolved so we arranged for an industrial drainage company to attend site to vacuum up as much water as they could and to jet the drain to alleviate the flooding.
“The drainage company informed us that there was a large blockage in the culvert causing a bottleneck in the flow and drainage of water from site.
“After conducting their own survey, BEAR Scotland informed us that the source of the problem was/is a huge mass of tree roots trapped in the culvert under the car park and road.
“They told us that the root mass is on Woollen Mill land at the front of the car park. However a separate survey we had conducted confirmed that the root mass is under the road but is so large that it is expanding along the culvert onto our land.”
Trossachs Woollen Mill also insisted trade had fallen as customers have difficulty accessing the store when the area is flooded.
Ms Brown added: “There have been several occasions when coach drivers have driven onto site, decided that their passengers would get their feet wet trying to get into the store, and have turned their coaches around and left.
“On one occasion five coaches had to pull up alongside the side entrance to the store so that their passengers could alight from the coach straight into the store rather than get their feet soaked because the water was nearing ankle height.”
A BEAR Scotland spokesperson said this week: “We are aware of this matter and have undertaken drainage investigations to establish the cause of the issues noted at the Woollen Mill. We will continue to engage with the Woollen Mill and Scottish Water to progress a resolution”.
A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “We are aware of this issue and we are carrying out further investigations and liaising with partner organisations to determine if there are any issues with Scottish Water infrastructure in the area. If so, appropriate action will be taken.”
Trossachs and Teith councillor Martin Earl this week called on BEAR Scotland and Scottish Water to work together. He said: “The owners of the Woollen Mill have contacted me about their ongoing problems with getting this flooding issue fixed.
“There have already been extensive investigations and it appears there is a blockage to the drains under the road.
“It is important that both Scottish Water and BEAR Scotland work together and get on with sorting out the issue that is causing problems for the business.”