Thursday, 25 September 2003 17:54

Argyll and Bute Council’s plans to end years of problems caused by flooding on the seafront at central Rothesay are now underway with the move on-site of contractors Raynesway Construction Services Ltd. The project got the final go ahead earlier this year, following the announcement of £1.6m Scottish Executive funding for the scheme.

The scheme – costing £1.75 m in total - will see the erection of a flood wall along the esplanade with a maximum height of 1.5 metres including access points to the pier and esplanade.

Local Councillor Len Scoullar said, “This flood barrier will make a tremendous difference for the residents of the pier and esplanade area who suffer distressing damage to their properties annually. In 1991, for example, the cost of flood damage to these properties was estimated at £4 million.”

Although Rothesay sits in a relatively sheltered bay facing North-Eastwards, it is still very susceptible to flooding caused by over-topping of the existing seawall.

This over-topping is caused by tidal surges rather than wave action. Winds blowing from a Southerly direction on a rising tide exaggerate the flood tide and funnel water up the Firth of Clyde. The constriction caused by the land masses around the Isle of Bute results in a noticeable increase in water levels over predicted tide levels.

Even on a very calm day with good weather conditions, a high tide can easily reach the top of the existing seawall – this indicates how easily the existing defences can be overtopped on days when the weather is less kind.

The Council’s Transport spokesperson Councillor Duncan MacIntyre said, “Climate changes could see flooding happening with increasing frequency. In light of this, we have drawn up a list of some 40 locations throughout Argyll and Bute, which would benefit from flood protection schemes, with Rothesay being the top priority“

Neil Aitken, Director of Atkins, said, “We are delighted to be involved in what is an extremely important project for the area. The new flood defence system will deliver a significantly improved level of safety against flooding and considerably reduce the threat of disruption to the local community. We look forward to working in partnership with both Argyll and Bute Council and Raynesway Construction on this prestigious contract.”

In Rothesay since the 1960s flooding occurred on a five year cycle. However, over recent years the frequency has increased and is now almost an annual event.

Although not all flooding events affect property, there are around six properties in danger from minor events and another 50 to 60 affected by major flooding with many of them being commercial premises.

The worst flooding of recent years occurred in January 1991 when it is estimated that between £3m and £4m worth of damage was caused to town centre properties. It was estimated that this was a 1 in 70 year event.

The cost benefit factor for this £1.75m flood prevention scheme is therefore very high.

EDITORS NOTES

· The Council has an annual budget of around £250,000 to deal with the effects of flooding and this can be augmented by grants from the Scottish Executive.
· Under the 1997 Flood Prevention Act Councils are required to prepare a report every two years detailing flooding incidents and flood prevention projects in their areas. Grant aid is available from the Scottish Executive for the larger schemes when a large number of properties are affected.

· Atkins is one of the world’s leading providers of professional, technologically-based consultancy and support services. Atkins operates around the world and employs over 15,000 staff.