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.

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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.

Technorati Tags: FFAG, Fife Council, Freuchie, Freuchie Mill

For those of you following the proposed affordable homes development in the field to the east of Millburn Place, an important document from Scottish Water has been added that raises a number of new concerns. We will be highlighting these at next week’s community council meeting, but for everyone’s benefit let’s take a look at each of those in turn here:

1. Lack of Knowledge on Flood Risk

Should we become aware of any issues such as flooding, low pressure, etc the Developer will require to fund works to mitigate the effect of the development on existing customers.

Scottish Water can now be added, along with SEPA, as an organisation that does not know about the previous flooding issues with this site and the flood risk ever present. FFAG will be sharing our evidence of flooding with Scottish Water.

2. Water Network

Water Network – Our initial investigations have highlighted there may be a requirement for the Developer to carry out works on the local network to ensure there is no loss of service to existing
customers. The Developer should discuss the implications directly with Scottish Water.

What works may be required to maintain service to the existing and proposed homes?

3. Sewage Works

Freuchie Wastewater Treatment Works – at present there is limited capacity to serve this new demand. The Developer should discuss their development directly with Scottish Water.

Wastewater Network – Our initial investigations have highlighted there may be a requirement for the Developer to carry out works on the local network to ensure there is no loss of service to existing customers. The Developer should discuss the implications directly with Scottish Water.

Does this mean we could be at risk of sewer flooding or discharge of untreated waste into the Pittilock Burn if additional investment isn’t forthcoming to the local treatment works?

4. Surface Water Drainage

A totally separate drainage system will be required with the surface water discharging to a suitable outlet. Scottish Water requires a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) as detailed in Sewers for Scotland 2 if the system is to be considered for adoption.

There is a definite requirement to better understand how surface runoff is currently handled at this location. The lack of capacity to handle existing levels of runoff and land drainage that is passed onto the infrastructure at Freuchie Mill is already well documented and makes the adjacent drainage ditch an unsuitable location to dump surface water drainage. There is no other suitable outlet in our opinion.

It is also worth pointing out that SUDS is not a flood prevention measure.

5. Existing Infrastructure

It is possible this proposed development may involve building over or obstruct access to existing Scottish Water infrastructure. On receipt of an application Scottish Water will provide advice that will require to be implemented by the developer to protect our existing apparatus.

What possible infrastructure and what are the implication of the development upon these current assets?

It is heartening to see such a professional evaluation on the possible impact of the development on Scottish Water assets and the effect it may have on existing residents.

Technorati Tags: flooding, Freuchie, Freuchie Community Council, Freuchie Flood Action Group, Freuchie Mill, Kingdom Housing, Millburn Place, Scottish Water, surface drainage, SUDS, waste water

The rainfall graph from the Freuchie Mill Weather Station (FMWS) pretty much says it all!

The rainfall seen yesterday is about half of that seen on peak days leading up to the August 2008 flooding.

Technorati Tags: flooding, FMWS, Freuchie, Freuchie Mill, Freuchie Mill Weather Station

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.

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Unfortunately Fife Council has went through the water main on Freuchie Mill Road whilst working on the Surface Drainage Improvement Scheme. This has resulted in low water pressure for residents in Freuchie Mill. As most of the properties will have a modern combination or condensing boiler, it is unlikely there will be enough water pressure to get hot water. Your heating system is a closed loop system so it should still be working without any problem. 

 
Photo: Water cascading down Freuchie Mill Road from the damaged water main 

 
Photo: Location of burst water main and first gulley in position 

Scottish Water has been out to assess the damage. A repair crew is currently repairing another burst water main down in Inverkeithing. They will be directed to Freuchie Mill Road as their next job, which will be at some point later this evening. Everyone should have normal water pressure soon.

Technorati Tags: Fife, Fife Council, Freuchie, Freuchie Mill, Freuchie Mill Road, Inverkeithing, Scottish Water