Written by Ewen Jardine, Secretary of Freuchie Community Council, has pointed out the Fife Council Flood Alleviation Report 2009 is now available. Thanks Ewen.
A quick skim through this report reveals underreporting and incomplete analysis of the recent flooding that occurred in Freuchie. FFAG and Freuchie Community Council will be following this up to highlight our concerns.
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Full analysis is required to work out the problem and carry out work as required so this disaster does not happen again for the residents of Freuchie.
Underreporting to the extreme – “flooding to 12 properties and cars damaged”.
Makes it sound like a little bit of water got in the doors of said houses and some cars got a bit wet!
More like ground floors of 12 houses rendered uninhabitable, needed total renovation and (however many) cars written off.
Also no mention of the depth of the flooding, (I think it was about 5ft or so in the car park at least), or any of the potential upstream causes both of the main watercourse and the side stream that goes through Freuchie Mill House.
Add to that the problem of the flooding that comes in via the road although that should be alleviated hopefully when the road works are finished.
Well said that man. Only thing I can add is approx £1m of property damage occurred in Freuchie Mill alone. When you add in the other properties damaged in Upper Feus and Greentree Brae, the total loss in Freuchie for the Aug 2008 flooding must approach £1.5m.
And then they want to go an build more houses in Freuchie in a known flood zone. Madness.
Well said all of you. I am incensed at this report and have drafted a strong letter from the Community Council to send to Fife Council – just consulting locally on its exact content , but you can be assured we will take a hard line on this. Freuchie has been treated appallingly by Fife Council for 18 months now
Patrick Laughlin
Chairman, Freuchie CC
It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the people making the decisions on these things have vested interests on companies that will benefit in the land purchase and or construction of the houses.
Everything gets rushed through, problems are swept under the carpet, objections are kept quiet etc etc.
And low and behold, several years down the line, when the problems come to light, its the poor taxpayer (and the unwitting residents themselves) that have to pay to rectify the situation.
Me – Cynical?
I couldn’t possibly comment on Mr Cynical
.
Even within Fife Council departments you have competing requirements and viewpoints on this… Housing supports the development and even turned up at past public meetings to voice this support, whilst the flood prevention officers have concerns.
As there have been so many objections already, this one will go to the North East Fife Committee for the councillors to make the decision. The floods of 2008 and since have certainly made them more aware and worldly wise about allowing developments to go ahead in areas of known flooding. The three councillors involved in our ward (Arbuckle, Lothian & MacDiarmid) will be lobbied before this comes to committee in the hope they fully enlightening their colleagues to all the facts before any vote is taken.
Freuchie Community Council has conducted their consultaton and a strongly worded letter has been sent off to Fife Council about the draft report. Will be interesting to see if it has an impact on the final report!!
We’ll keep people updated on this one.