Freuchie Flood Action Group

The Freuchie Mill culvert webcam has been replaced and is now operational. An additional infra-red illuminator has been installed to improve image quality during the hours of darkness. Higher quality lenses with a shorter focal length (wider view) are on order for the webcams to improve the image quality further. The Freuchie Mill road camera will be operation when the new lens have arrive and been fitted to the replacement webcam.

It has been necessary to rig up a temporary access method while the software is being developed to handle not only the webcam images but also a water level monitoring, logging and flood warning alarm system. Hopefully this can all be done before the really nasty weather rolls in and people can go about their business knowing they can keep tabs on the culvert level and be warned when it is getting dangerously high.

Future posts will go into this in more detail as the flood alarm and monitoring system takes shape.

Technorati Tags: flood, Freuchie, Freuchie Mill, webcam

It has been two years since the flooding of various properties throughout Freuchie. Happily we’re not aware of any further major property damage caused by flooding over that period. However we did have the near miss event last year which threatened homes in Albany Crescent and Freuchie Mill.

We cannot be complacent in our campaign to bring flood prevention measures to Freuchie! Both Freuchie Flood Action Group and Freuchie Community Council are lobbying and working hard to make that happen. Our joint campaigning has already delivered some smaller measures to reduce flood risk, other measures are in the planning phase and we have a wish list of must happen sooner rather than later projects.

Technorati Tags: flood, flooding, Freuchie, Freuchie Community Council, Freuchie Flood Action Group

Freuchie Flood Action Group has just received video footage taken during the flood event in the early hours of the 13th August 2008.

Yet more graphic proof of why Kingdom Housing Association and the developers must ensure they get the flood prevention implementation correct on this site.

This new content will be sent off to Fife Council Development Services, Kingdom Housing Association and SEPA.

If you have trouble viewing the video try going directly to the video hosting website.

Technorati Tags: Fife Council, Fife Council Development Services, flood, flooding, Freuchie, Freuchie Flood Action Group, Kingdom Housing Association, SEPA

A follow-up letter from SEPA has maintained their objection to the proposed development at Broomfield Place.

To quote from their letter:

Thank you for your consultation letter of 5 July 2010. We maintain our objection to this planning application on the grounds of a lack of information in relation to flood risk. We will remove this objection if the issues detailed in Section 1 below are adequately addressed. However, it should be noted that an adequate solution to the flood risk issues at this site is likely to be difficult to achieve.

Advice for the planning authority

1. Flood risk

1.1 We maintain our objection to the proposed development on the grounds that it may place buildings and persons at flood risk contrary to Scottish Planning Policy and Planning Advice Note (PAN) 69 ‘Planning and Building Standards Advice on Flooding’.

 

1.2 In the event that the planning authority proposes to grant planning permission contrary to this advice on flood risk the application must be notified to the Scottish Ministers as per The Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 2009.

 

1.3 In previous correspondence dated 10 May 2010, we objected to this proposal and recommended that a flood risk assessment (FRA) be undertaken. An FRA carried out by McGregor McMahon has since been submitted and we can advise that on the 7 July 2010, SEPA met with McGregor McMahon to discuss the content of this in more detail.

 

1.4 The FRA clearly highlights that the site is at risk from flooding. A small watercourse which enters a culvert on Muir Road has in the past surcharged resulting in flood water flowing along Muir Road and down into Broomfield Place resulting in a number of houses being subjected to flooding. Within appendix F of the FRA, a number of photographs show the extent of flooding experienced in August 2008. This flood water derived from the upstream culvert eventually flows into the development site.

 

1.5 To mitigate this risk and to try and eliminate the flooding problems experienced by the existing properties on Muir Road and Broomfield Place, it is proposed to create a flood relief channel to the south of the site. The purpose of this channel is to capture any surcharged water from the culvert on Muir Road which would normally affect the above properties and proposed development site and divert it to an alternative watercourse to the east. Although this will decrease the risk of flooding to the developments on Broomfield Place and Muir Road, it will ultimately increase the risk of flooding to alternative areas, particularly the Freuchie Mill area which was severely affected by flooding in August 2008.

 

1.6 The proposal is therefore contrary to SPP as it will increase the risk of flooding to other areas. This was highlighted in our meeting with McGregor McMahon on 7 July 2010.

 

1.7 In light of the above, we maintain our objection to this proposal in relation to flood risk. We could only support the development if an alternative solution is proposed demonstrating that the development is located outwith the risk of flooding from the estimated 1 in 200 year flood event and will not increase the risk of flooding to neighbouring areas.

This advice is given without prejudice to any decision made on elements of the proposal regulated by us, which may take into account factors not considered at the planning stage.

It is heartening to see SEPA coming to the same conclusion as FFAG.

Read SEPA’s full response on the planning website:
http://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/caseFile.do?category=application&caseNo=10/00587/FULL

Technorati Tags: Broomfield Place, FFAG, flood, flooding, Freuchie, Freuchie Flood Action Group

Photos: Falkland flood event on the  21st July 2010

Freuchie may have escaped being flooded this week but our neighbours over in Falkland were once again at serious danger of property damage. It was only through the installation of effective flood protection products that a number of Falkland homes escaped destruction once again.

Water courses appear to be at full capacity, spilling over their banks and the bridge arches of bridges seem to be causing water to back up. The photos suggest slowing down the flow, holding more water upstream and storing water before it enters Falkland, either natural or in ponds, would be part of a longer term solution for Falkland. Doesn’t look like there will be a simple fix, but it may well be a good candidate for Natural Flood Management (NFM) techniques.

FFAG is attempting to find out more about the Falkland flood to understand if there are some common elements that both communities can come together to address.

The need for a Falkland and Freuchie flood study grows stronger with every passing flood event.

Technorati Tags: Falkland, flooding, Freuchie, NFM

Our thoughts go out to the people of Perth affected by flooding over the last few hours.

The Perth and Kinross Council website has the following update:

Severe weather and flood warnings

SEPA has issued a flood watch for the Lower Tay and tributaries following heavy rainfall.

There is localised flooding in the Perth and Kinross area due to surface water runoff following the heavy overnight rain. Around 45 mm of rain fell in the Perth area overnight.

There are difficult driving conditions throughout the area due to surface water on roads and localised flooding.

The entry slip road from A85 Dundee Road at Perth to M90 is closed southbound due to flooding at Junction 11, Friarton Bridge. A diversion is in operation – southbound via Kinfauns flyover.

Feus Road in Perth is closed due to flooding. The B898 Dalguise Road is closed at Craignuisq. The road is effectively closed between A9 (T) at Jubilee Bridge and A827 Pitnacree Bridge. A diversion is in place via A9 to Ballinluig and A827.

The A924 Bridge of Cally to Pitlochry, at Tarvie, is closed due to flooding.

Crieff Road Pre-School Centre is closed today due to flooding however arrangements have been made for the Service to be provided today from Goodlyburn Primary School.

The Met Office has also issued a severe weather warning for the area. Rain will be persistent and heavy at times today. The public are advised to take extra care and refer to the latest SEPA Live Flood Warning Information, and also to Traffic Scotland for further advice on road conditions.

Please continue to keep an eye on the situation in your area and listen to local radio and television for further information.

This page will be updated throughout the day if the situation with road closures or flooding changes.

Checkout the BBC online article and the STV news article and video report about the Perth flood.

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Interesting daily rainfall graph for the 24 hour period ending at 9am this morning:

The Freuchie Mill weather station recorded 42.3mm of rain, with the highest rainfall rate of 28.8mm/hr occurring  at 4:25am.

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The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for Fife, but the Scotland wide advisory is far more accurate:

There is a moderate risk of severe weather affecting parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland. There is the potential for heavy, thundery rain to give totals in excess of 50 mm in places, with an associated risk of localised flooding.

SEPA has issued a Flood Watch:

A FLOOD WATCH has been issued for Fife and Clackmannanshire rivers.

Heavy rainfall is forecast this morning. High intensity rainfall may cause flooding on small watercourses, roads and in urbanised areas.

Freuchie has seen 38mm of rainfall in the last 6 hours with more rain to come throughout today. Condition couldn’t have been better over the last few months for Freuchie to be able to withstand such a deluge. However residents who invested in flood defences would be advised to have them on standby.

There are a number of gullies blocked in the village and Muirhead. FFAG will report these to Fife Council for maintenance.

Technorati Tags: Fife, Freuchie, Met Office, Muirhead, SEPA, weather

A few people have been asking where on the Fife Council website they can make a comment on the Millburn / Broomfield Place development. The link to the planning application is show below:

http://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/applicationDetails.do?action=showSummary&caseNo=10/00587/FULL

Click on the “Make a Comment” button then fill in the form.

Technorati Tags: Broomfield Place, Fife Council, Millburn Place

Almost 30mm of rain, over an inch in old money, fell on Freuchie in the last 24 hours. The interesting, or should that be concerning, period of rainfall was between 9pm and 10pm last night when the rain was falling at a max rate of 36mm per hour. Thankfully it only lasted for a brief period.

Sky and Freesat TV viewers probably noticed their receivers losing reception just before the downpour – a good indicator that the skies were full of moisture just ready to come down as torrential rainfall. However it is a real shame if it spoils your viewing enjoyment!

All this makes for an interesting daily cumulative rainfall graph.

 Click on the graph to see a high resolution version (opens in new window).

Luckily all the water courses were running very low or dry before the downpour, the fields are full of thirsty crops and our extended dry spell followed by some light rain over the last week has left the ground ready to soak up a good deal of the rainfall. 

This has been the first decent fall of rainfall for testing the drainage scheme installed at Freuchie Mill Road a few months ago by Fife Council. The new gullies are certainly making a difference to the surface water running down C24 / Freuchie Mill Road, water that would normally all flow into Freuchie Mill. Although this isn’t a test of the same scale as the November 2009 flood event, it does bring a good measure of reassurance that the scheme will make a big difference. Thanks go again to Cllr MacDiarmid and Transportation Services for all their hard work to get this installed in time for the “wet season”.

Technorati Tags: Fife Council, flood, flooding, Freesat, Freuchie, Freuchie Mill, Sky