By Cheryl Wood

QUESTIONS ARE being asked of Fife Council and the police as Cupar shopkeepers and householders cope with the aftermath of Monday’s flood.

Several business premises in the town centre were struck during the torrential downpour and some are likely to remain closed for some time.

Cupar—which was flooded only 11 months ago—was the place in Fife worst affected by the heavy rain and the council has confirmed that its drainage system was unable to cope with the sudden volume of water.

MSP Ted Brocklebank called on the local authority to investigate as a matter of urgency.

The police have been asked why traffic was able to continue through the town centre, creating waves which made the situation worse.

Jim Hair, chairman of the Association of Businesses in Cupar and District, said, “This is the third time since I came to Cupar in 1980 that we have had this problem.

“After the first two occasions there were major drainage improvements made in the Bonnygate, but they don’t seem to have worked.

“There is also the question of traffic management while the rain was coming down. Traffic continued to pass through town during that period. Those are just a couple of issues.”

Bonnygate trader Hilda Scott, of Scotts Ladieswear, has already told The Courier that she was among several shopkeepers who phoned the police begging them to close the Bonnygate to traffic.

Mr Brocklebank praised the speedy response of police, council workers and local firefighters but said residents and shopkeepers were understandably frustrated.

He said, “For many this is the second time within a year they have had premises flooded and some will have to close businesses and lose trade for weeks while repair and renovation work is carried out.

“Fife Council claim this time burns did not overflow and the flooding was caused by water coming off the land but this seems even more concerning if Cupar drains cannot cope with localised heavy rainfall.

“I have written to council chief executive Ronnie Hinds asking him to look into this as a matter of urgency.

“Not surprisingly, many Cuparians now feel they have had enough and it’s time for the council to act.”

Council roads service team leader George Miezitis said, “Regardless of the level of maintenance service provided—and our drains are running clear—most of the inherited drainage infrastructure does not have capacity to deal with the type of exceptional weather that occurred this week.

“In addition to this there is the problem of mud and silt coming off fields into these drainage systems during heavy downpours.”

The police deflected criticism on to “thoughtless drivers” who continued through the town centre.

Chief Inspector David Brown said, “Officers at a very early stage began to turn back traffic outside the police station. Unfortunately, owing to the central nature of the Bonnygate, many smaller local roads lead into that area and it was clearly impossible to manage all junctions.

“I am truly disappointed that many thoughtless drivers, particularly those of lorries and buses, continued to try to use the Bonnygate even though they could clearly see the problems their movement through the water was causing to local shopkeepers.

“I am sure that the community in Cupar recognises the immediate pressures that local officers were subject to, given the many flood zones which materialised in an amazingly short space of time.”