Comrie to get £1m in flood defences after village flooded twice in a year

PERTH and Kinross Council has committed £1 million in funding to accelerate plans for a flood alleviation scheme for the village of Comrie where more than 100 homes were devastated in a deluge on Monday.

Scores of residents in the Camp Road , Barrack Road and Dalginross areas of the village had to be rescued from their homes after being trapped by rapidly rising flood waters as the River Ruchill, a tributary of the River Earn, burst its banks following a night of torrential rain.

It was the second flood to hit the village in four months. In August angry local residents blamed the community’s own flood defences for the floods which swept through the Perthshire village, damaging more than 30 homes.

Members of a sub committee of the council’s strategic policy and resources committee held an emergency meeting in Perth this morning to discuss the authority’s response to the devastation. And a council spokeswoman announced that the committee had decided to take immediate action in a bid to prevent a repeat of the flooding.

She explained: “In August, Perth and Kinross Council commissioned expert engineers to design flood alleviation measures for Comrie. Engineers’ proposals were received on 20 November.

“The council has, within 48 hours of receiving these proposals, committed £1 million of council funds from reserves for raising Camp Road and building a small wall closer to the river. The council will also be removing fallen trees from the bed and banks of the Water of Ruchill and removing the gravel bar at the bend in the Water of Ruchill, where the river burst its banks to reduce the pressure on the eroded bank.

“This brings forward the original timetable, which planned to make recommendations on flood mitigation measures in December. The engineers’ proposals will be finalised in the light of investigations following further flooding this week.”

Councillor Ian Miller, the leader of the council. said: “Since the event in Comrie in August we have been working in partnership with the local community to find ways to alleviate flooding. Having received the initial proposals this week, we have immediately accelerated the timetable and committed £1 million to the protection of the community of Comrie.

“It is thanks to the council’s sound financial management over the past few years that we are able to pledge this amount from council reserves. However, we are also in discussions with the Scottish Government about a possible contribution to the costs, which I would warmly welcome.”

Meanwhile Roseanna Cunningham, the local MSP, yesterday urged villagers to be “very wary” of independent loss assessing companies contacting them about Monday’s flood damage.

She said: “I am concerned that representatives of these companies have already been in the village of Comrie asking residents to consider using their services in the aftermath of the recent flooding.

“It is my understanding that these companies are not working on behalf of insurance companies and I would always urge any of my constituents contacted to exercise extreme caution in dealing with doorstep or telephone cold callers.”

Ms Cunningham added: “The Scottish Flood Forum is urging people affected by flooding to contact their own insurance companies as soon as possible and organise any repairs and claims through them. There are real concerns that using a loss assessing company can lead to householders having to pay considerable bills and I fully echo that advice.”