Lost rent and tax charges for dozens of Brechin homes uninhabitable since Storm Babet is costing Angus Council £6,000-a-week.
Figures going before councillors this week reveal the authority has lost hundreds of thousand of pounds on void properties in the worst-affected area of River Street.
These include 56 council houses which have lain empty since the October 2023 catastrophe.
In total, there are almost 80 vacant properties in the flood disaster zone beside the River South Esk.
The mounting financial impact is detailed in a recovery and regeneration report to be considered by a full Angus Council meeting on Thursday.
It reveals: “The properties – 79, as of May 30 – consist of a range of sizes and types, with differing rental charges and historical occupation levels.
“The total void loss from October 23 2023 to May 30 2025 in the River Street area is approximately £485,000.
“The average weekly void loss currently stands at £5,850.
“This figure is expected to increase as more tenancies are terminated and properties remain vacant.”
The 56 damaged houses received a 12-month council tax exemption.
But since October 2024, they have been subject to a 90% charge.
And the 2025/26 council tax bill for all 79 houses is almost £91,000.
Brechin leisure centre demolition plan
Meanwhile, council director Sharon Faulkner says the planned demolition of the former Brechin leisure centre could take up to 18 months if councillors agree it should be bulldozed.
It has been empty for nearly a decade since the opening of Brechin Community Campus.
Efforts to re-use the building at The Inch have come to nothing.
The recovery plan suggests it should be knocked down, and the adjacent artificial pitch also cleared.
Ms Faulkner says the insurance payout for the building should cover the unspecified demolition cost.
However, its status as part of Brechin common good may ultimately require approval by the Court of Session. That could take 12 to 18 months.
The new report also recommends the demolition of an empty three-storey block of council flats at Meikle Mill.
Storm Babet’s floodwater severely damaged the ground floor.
Council officials say the upper floors were already facing significant investment to repair previous tenant damage.
It has been the scene of vandalism and theft since Storm Babet.
The cost of knocking down the building has been put at around £90,000.
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