Plea for action as flood problem keeps elderly Ross-shire couple apart
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AN elderly, disabled Ross-shire couple are being prevented from being together in their own home because of a mysterious floodwater seepage that has turned the land around the house into a safety hazard.
The couple’s near 10-week nightmare started at the beginning of February after a stream running under the road next to the house at Easter Cottage, Contin Mains, burst.
Road chiefs tasked with maintenance of the main A835 Dingwall to Ullapool route that runs past the house occupied by 70-year-old Judith White yesterday promised to step up efforts to resolve a problem which has threatened to leave the nearly blind pensioner, who needs a walking aid, a prisoner in her own home.
Mrs White, whose husband Bill suffers from dementia and is in full-time care at Strathallan House Care Home, has fallen twice trying to get to her bins outside since the problem arose.
Damage to the semi-detached property appears to have been caused by floodwater seeping up from the nearby road, uprooting boulders and rocks onto a previously unspoilt lawn.
Mrs White said: “My husband has not been able to come to the house because of the damage. We have to take him to my daughter’s house when he comes out for the afternoon. He can’t come home here because of the lack of access.”
Her own condition also greatly restricts her movements. She added: “I’m crippled with arthritis and get about with the aid of walking sticks. I use a walking frame when I’m outside so getting out is very difficult. I have to go out the front gate and right round the side of the house to get to the car.
“We can’t go out the back gate because that part of the garden is full of water, which is too deep to walk through. When you go out the front gate there is hole in the pavement which has sunk right in. You have to walk onto the road to get round it and back onto the pavement again, which is very scary because of the traffic.”
Her daughter, Ailsa Sugden, told the Ross-shire Journal: “Our understanding of the situation is that a stream that runs under the road by the house has burst during the storm, which has led to extensive damage to the garden of East Cottage and also the pavement directly outside the gate.
“My parents are both elderly and disabled. Dad is in Strathallan House Care Home and needs full-time care because of dementia, while my mum is still living at East Cottage. She is disabled and is nearly blind – they both have walking aids. My mother has fallen twice since this happened trying to get to the bins.”
Mrs Sugden has been trying to get Bear Scotland, which has responsibility for maintenance of the major trunk route, to resolve the situation since the damage first appeared.
A representative from Scottish Water turned up at the property only to confirm it was not a burst pipe that was causing the problem.
Mrs Sugden said: “Both myself and the lady whom my mother leases the house from have been in touch with Bear Scotland. We contacted them immediately to let them know the situation. But we are not getting much help from them after almost 10 weeks. They do not seem to realise the severity of the damage and the impact on my parents’ health.”
Mrs Sugden said she and her mother have received a lot of support from neighbours who are concerned for the safety of Mrs White and also the state of the pavement outside her home.
With the garden uneven and flooded it not only makes life difficult for Mrs White but also her husband Bill, whose day visits home have been curtailed because of the unrest.
Mrs White says she is looking for an early resolution to the problem. She said: “With the nice weather coming I’d love to sit out in my garden and not look at piles of rubble stacked up to stop the water coming into the house.”
A spokesperson for Bear Scotland told the Journal: “We are aware of the flooding problem at Contin Mains and have been working with Scottish Water to try to find the source of the excess flooding. We’ve determined that the issue is not connected to any water mains and will continue with our own further investigations to determine the cause.
“We will ensure that all residents are fully informed of any progress and thank all involved for their patience while we find a solution.”
