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 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.

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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

The Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) is now available on the Fife Council Planning website for the proposed Broomfield Place / Millburn Place affordable housing development. Check it out here.

First off the community is disappointed that we weren’t consulted on the FRA, especially as FFAG had made a request for local consultation. As a community we have built up extensive knowledge of the local water courses and areas that flood since August 2008.

We’re also disappointed that little consideration appears to have been given to the flood risk downstream of the development, especially so at Freuchie Mill. The FRA does not appear to demonstrate a key SEPA and planning principle of not making flooding worse elsewhere.

There is also some contradiction between the information contained within this report and the Freuchie Mill report done last year. We’ll be taking this up with Fife Council to gain insight to the true state of flood risk.

Finally, the flood prevention scheme being proposed brings welcome protection to properties around about the development site, including Broomfield Place, Church Street, Millburn Place and The Feus, but it may put Fortharfield, Shiels Avenue and Freuchie Mill Road at higher risk from flooding and almost certainly will bring more frequent and/or intense flooding to Freuchie Mill.

A follow-up objection response from FFAG has been sent into Fife Council Development Services. Should appear on the planning application website in a day or so.

One final thought: two “studies” (term is used in its most generic sense) have now been completed for Freuchie and both have revealed areas at high risk from flooding. How many more times must Freuchie experience flooding before a full flood study is carried out?

Technorati Tags: Broomfield Place, Fife Council, FFAG, flood, flooding, Fortharfield, Freuchie, Freuchie Mill, Millburn Place, planning, SEPA, Shiels Avenue

Fife Council completed the surface drainage works at Freuchie Mill last week. The C23 – Freuchie Mill Road – is once again open without restriction. The residents of Freuchie Mill and Freuchie Mill Road now await the first real test of this scheme with nervous anticipation.

Once again thank you to Cllr MacDiarmid for his assistance in getting Fife Council officers to recognise the urgency for such a scheme, to the officers for finding the funds and organising the project and to Bob and the rest of his road crew for the back breaking installation of the drainage scheme.

One major flooding source dealt with, only two more to go! This new scheme will once again make the undersized culvert and the water source coming through Freuchie Mill House the pinch points of greatest concern. It is only a matter of time before these two identified flood risks cause significant flooding again at Freuchie Mill.

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A little update on the Surface Drainage Improvement works being carried out at Freuchie Mill.

The scheme has taken a little longer than expected due to uncharted utilities and water seepage impacting on the second phase of the work. Fife Council has apologised for the delay. It is now anticipated that the substantial amount of the work should be completed by the 23rd April.

FFAG appreciates the care being taken to make this scheme work more effectively. An additional few weeks of construction time is nothing in comparison with the lifetime of improvement in flood protection it will bring. The disruption to local residents has been kept to an absolute minimum and we would like to thank everyone at Fife Council for their efforts to maintain resident access and their continued hard work at Freuchie Mill.

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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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Following on from the community council public meeting last week, at which time a large turn out of people expressed their concerns and objections to the Broomfield Place development, we now have the direct link to the planning application on the Fife Council website. 

Now is the time for individual residents to comment upon this application and to express approval, disapproval or a neutral standpoint. Concerned residents should express their comments either online or alternatively in writing to the Planning Department. Freuchie residents have already started to place their comments onto the website and we would encourage more Freuchie residents to post their thoughts onto the planning application.

Both Freuchie Community Council and Freuchie Flood Action Group will be making representations to the authorities on this application in due course.

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This just in from Fife Council with thanks to Cllr David MacDiarmid for sending it on.

THE FIFE COUNCIL (C23 FREUCHIE MILL)

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF USE) ORDER 2010

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that The Fife Council have made an Order under section 14(1)(a) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 continuing to prohibit the use by vehicular traffic of the C23 Freuchie Mill from its junction with the A92(T) to its junction with the A914.

The purpose of the Order is to allow the installation of surface water drainage to be carried out in safety. The effect of the Order will be to continue the closure of the said length of road until 12th April, 2010 or until earlier completion of the works.

The alternative route for through traffic will be via the A92(T), New Inn roundabout and the A914.

Access for emergency service vehicles and pedestrians will be maintained.

Any queries regarding this Notice should be directed to Lynne Lees, Legal Services, Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes, Fife KY7 5LT.

Iain A. Matheson, Chief Legal Officer 2nd April, 2010

Technorati Tags: Fife, Fife Council, Freuchie, Freuchie Mill, road closure

Cllr David MacDiarmid, John A Thomson (Chairman of Freuchie Flood Action Group) and Freuchie Mill resident Claire Morgan were interviewed and photographer today by The Courier about the surface drainage works currently underway on Freuchie Mill Road.  The news article should be in tomorrow’s newspaper and we highly recommend getting yourself a copy!

Photo: Cllr MacDiarmid and Claire Morgan 

Fife Council workmen have made significant progress over the last few days. Keep up the good work guys.

Technorati Tags: Claire Morgan, Cllr David MacDiarmid, Courier, Fife, Fife Council, Freuchie, Freuchie Mill, Freuchie Mill Road