Let local experts have say on floods

SIR, – Spending £31 million at Ballater on flood defences seems a huge sum of money to try to hold back water as you can only hold water back for so long, as it has to go somewhere.

Surely clearing parts of the Dee would have made a difference as it has always done in previous generations by farmers, landowners, gillies and local contractors. With their knowledge about river management coming down generations, that is a huge wealth of information.

Putting another arch in the south side of the bridge going over the Dee in Ballater would allow more water through, along with the removal of some gravel bars below and above the bridge.

With all the rest of the flooding around the country now and in previous years and the reluctance of the various environmental agencies to allow farmers and contractors to dredge, clean and maintain river systems properly, it is little wonder people are getting annoyed.

They should worry less about water voles and more about people’s property and livelihoods.

There are very few natural water courses in the north-east of Scotland. Nearly all the burns, ditches, etc have been man-made probably 300-400 years ago and have to be maintained accordingly.

There has always been flooding and if common sense and regular maintenance at the right times of the year were employed, it could be a lot less of a problem. Patrick Sleigh, Bovaglie, Hillhead of Daviot, Aberdeenshire