Action to help prevent Dingwall flooding still not completed while some machinery to keep gullies clear has been delivered

Highland Council has yet to implement a range of measures promised to Dingwall residents after last year’s flooding, Dingwall and Seaforth councillors have been told.

What action the council did take since the town centre, west end and areas just north of Old Evanton Road were deluged are unlikely to satisfy residents, many of whom had to fork out for huge repair bills.

Shortly after the floods, chief executive Donna Manson held a series of public meetings when angry locals were promised action would be taken and revealed before Christmas 2019.

Now officials have revealed what has and has not been and included details of the maintenance activities that have been carried out to date, as well as an update on the more major capital works which are planned.

Following the flooding, a capital investment of £250,000 was made available to undertake the works at two locations on Knockbain Burn to construct a coarse debris screen and to improve the operation and capacity of the screen itself.

However, the council said the pandemic has delayed the works and approval from a meeting of full council on October 29 will need to be sought again to confirm that these works can still progress.

If agreed, then the coarse debris screen is expected to commence early in 2021 with the more major works to the screen later that year.

The local authority still claims the flooding was caused by a blockage on the burn but locals insist lack of gully clearing was a major component as well while the west end of the town and areas near Tulloch Castle Drive could not have been impacted by that.

But in more positive news another gully cleaner was purchased and it is understood that drains have been emptied more often than previously to avoid a repeat of last autumn’s flash floods.

There was also good news in that members were told that following a flood study in Dingwall the preferred scheme was submitted to Scottish Government in December of 2019 for national prioritisation and funding.

There would therefore be the chance of getting yet more investment when the Scottish Government funding is announced, which is also anticipated to be in 2021.

A surface water management plan is also a commitment made by the Council and this is programmed to be complete by March 2022.

Maintenance works and actions taken following the flooding last year have included:

• CCTV inspection and jetting and the replacement outfall screen at Boggan Burn
• An additional gully sucker to cover Skye, Ross and Cromarty has been purchased
• Improvements made to GPS data gathered on when gullies are cleaned
• The provision and storage of more sandbags is being investigated and a trial will be undertaken to providing sandbags to previously flooded residents
• Dingwall Flood Embankment works have begun and the area is to be strimmed

Following the ward briefing members also requested that the community be provided with an update, and consideration is being given as to how to make this effective given the current Covid restrictions

Have you been affected by the flooding and want to have your say? What do you think of Highland Council’s response? Contact: newsdesk@hnmedia.co.uk

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