Flood-hit Perth residents are done waiting for Perth and Kinross Council to help them out.
At a meeting near the frequently overflowing Craigie Burn on Saturday, residents from Cherrybank to Croft Park teamed up to discuss how to prepare themselves for the next deluge.
“We all want the council to do something. The council are not going to do it,” said Sam Lamond.
Flooded out again
In September, Sam and her family were flooded out of their Croft Park home for the second time in just over two years. Flood waters caused extensive damage and they still haven’t been able to move back in.
Meanwhile, the next flood could happen at any time.
“I don’t want to put in a new bathroom, only to lose it in two years’ time,” she said.
About 50 people turned up to Perth Community Flood Aid’s inaugural meeting at Glenearn Community Campus.
Organisers aim to build resilience in the close-knit community to equip neighbours with early warning alerts and the flood protection equipment they need.
It is Perth and Kinross Council’s policy that residents must take steps to protect their homes against flooding.
But group members say the sheer volumes of water from the Craigie Burn, Scouring Burn and heavy rainfall is more than they can cope with.
And they are concerned for those on low incomes who cannot afford to buy items like flood sacks and air brick covers.
They aim to tackle this by raising money and bulk buying equipment everyone in the community can use to protect their property.
Sam said the “accessible information and accessible support” the group aims to provide will “hopefully make everybody’s life a lot easier.”
Plan for action
Croft Park resident Janice Haig opened the meeting.
She said the group had three main strategies for helping residents, and encouraged those attending to share further ideas.
In addition to raising money for equipment, Janice suggested maintaining a list of who in the community might need help during flood alerts.
“If you’re on holiday for a week and you get a Sepa (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) warning to say there’s a chance of rain, someone you trust, a neighbour, can do that flood resilience work if you’re not there.”
And plans for a RiverTrack system are already making progress.
Janice said this would supplement existing Sepa flood alerts, providing an “extra level of defence”.
She added: “The local one is actually a system which will be placed in the Craigie Burn so that we will know the levels of the water in the Craigie Burn.”
Residents have their say
Queen Street resident Shelley Jeffrey opened the floor to those attending the meeting so they could share their views.
One resident described how he invested in 50 sand bags only for them to be thoughtlessly “flung in the burn”.
A number of those attending backed the idea of a safe place to store sand bags.
One man who lives in Queen Street said Perth residents affected by flooding would benefit from practical help with equipment.
There was also a consensus that there had to be a more joined up approach when residents were making changes such as building walls on their property. There was concern individual actions could worsen flood risk for others.
30 pensioners ‘stuck’ in flats after flood
Tricia Duncan of Glamis Place said there were health and safety implications of the authorities leaving residents to fend for themselves.
“Raw sewage has been pouring into Craigie Burn,” she said.
“It’s fantastic what you’re doing, but we really need the authorities to do something.”
Meanwhile, pensioner James Taylor lives at the Millburn Court retirement homes.
In his seventies, he described himself as one of the complex’s younger residents.
The aftermath of the flooding in September last year blocked access to the flats.
“At least 30 residents were stuck in their flats.
“It’s a big problem when people can’t get out of their houses.”
“Unfortunately when it comes to self help, we’re 45 residents who are mostly in our late 70s, 80s and 90s. Unfortunately they can’t help themselves.”
The next step for the group is setting up a committee and applying for funding.
Local councillors Liz Barrett (Lib Dems), Andy Chan (Conservative) and Iain MacPherson (SNP) attended the meeting.
Conversation