A presentation by Fife Council Officers from Roads & Transportation Services, was given at the Community Council meeting of Thursday 1 February. Here is a summary.
Fife Council Officers making the presentation:
Michael Anderson: Service Manager – Structural Services, Roads & Transportation Services
Rick Haynes: Lead Consultant – Flooding, Shoreline & Harbours
Ross Tulloch: Lead Professional – Civil/Structural Engineering, Property Strategic Planning & Capital Programmes
Alan Hall: Business Case Manager, Com HN Housing
Fife Council Officers gave a presentation on the flooding in Benarty and took questions. The Council Officers outlined the situation, as they understood it, and the remedies they propose to address the problems being experienced. The areas of Kirktoun Park, Navitie Park and the Cemetery were focused on. The Council Officers reported that a preliminary catchment survey had been commissioned and that data was being reviewed. A CCTV survey of the culverts was recently completed and the data from that is being analysed. The Council Officers also reported that a full catchment survey was being commissioned. The contract for the full catchment survey couldn’t be placed until the new financial year, and, due to Scotland-wide contract procedures, there would be quite a long lead-time before the work could start. The results of the survey are expected by the spring of 2025. It would only be after the survey report was received, that the Council would know the full extent of the work to be undertaken, the length of time it would take and the cost of the work that would be needed.
A Member of the Public noted that Kirkland Park was not on the map and that some houses were experiencing water coming up through their floorboards. Fife Council Officers said that one of the reasons they were there was to gain local knowledge and provide comprehensive coverage, in the catchment survey, of the areas affected. A Member of the public stated that in 2019 he had walked around with surveyors who had promised to do what is currently proposed but did not, and the matter needs to be sorted once and for all. Fife Council Officers said that they would work with him and others to achieve that. A member of the public noted that the water is running down toward the streets as the drain near the top of the hill has not been cleaned for years and it has got worse since trees were cut down. There was an undertaking by Fife Council Officers to make a visit. A member of the public asked if Fife Council knew where all the culverts were and if they were inspected or upgraded when Ballingry was built. Fife Council Officers did not have that information and noted that technology was different in days past. A member of the public suggested that the problem could be solved by the replacement of culvert 1 and culvert 2. Fife Council Officers said they were looking at the whole area. A member of the public reiterated that there had been no cleaning of the culverts for decades and this aggravated the issue. A member of the public mentioned the old Primary School, now under the ownership of a private company, and was not sure why development of a proposed flooding chamber had stopped. A report had been made but this seems to have gone missing, and Fife Council cannot find it. This issue is delaying development of the old primary school land. Fife Council Officers noted the designs were not handed to Fife Council. Cllr Lockhart reported that the initial report had been commissioned by the Housing Department.
Agreed Actions
- Council Officers, Residents (those who volunteered and left their contact details), Community Councillors and Local Councillors to do a walkabout of the affected areas & visit affected homes to see the damaged caused by the flooding.
- Community Council to provide Council Officers with a comprehensive list of the streets worst affected by the flooding.
- Council Officers to check with their Housing Department colleagues to try to find the missing report on the land at the former primary school.
- Council Officers to provide a copy of the slides used in their presentation to the Community Council.
- Council Officers to draw up a Mitigation Plan to address flooding issues in the short-term, ie until the work identified in the full Catchment Survey can be completed. The Mitigation Plan should include, but is not restricted to, a regular regime of gully cleaning, implementing flood pods in the worst affected streets; and actively developing a property-level protection grant.
- Council Officers to be invited to a future meeting of the Community Council to give a progress report.
Action Plan Presented by Fife Council Officers
- Preliminary catchment study of the culvert has been commissioned and data being reviewed.
- In process – Quotations and preparation of contract documents for a full catchment study – estimated £80k. Funded through Housing, Property Services and R&TS Time: Approx 6 months Outcome: Potential solutions
- CCTV survey of culvert recently complete and data being analysed
- Maintain a regular regime of gully cleaning
- Implementing flood pods at Kirktoun Park & Gardens
- Actively developing property level protection grant
- Explore sources of funding for item 2.
