Perth residents fear they could be forced out of their homes for months due to flood damage, while a nearby pub faces a bill of £30,000 on repairs.
Homeowners and businesses in Cherrybank and Low Road face massive costs in the aftermath of last week’s storms which devastated large parts of the Fair City.
Keith Harvey and his partner Susannah Coventry woke up to find over a foot of water in their living room and kitchen as “a river” flowed through their garden on Low Road.
The pair have been told by their loss adjuster they face months out of their home which they only bought two years ago.
NHS worker Keith said: “We might be out of the house for three to four months while they dehumidify the place.
“The water has got into the plasterboard, the floor is ruined. It will all have to be ripped out.”
Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) say they have identified the source of an oil spillage which has contaminated the couple and their neighbours’ gardens.
Damage to a pub located one street south, The Cherrybank Inn, has been estimated at around £30,000, owner Scott Findlay said.
Parts of the embankment leading to the car park and outside area were totally swept away, causing a waterfall in the grounds of the pub.
Mr Findlay said: “We had 43 tonnes of rubble in the car park, there was boulders and everything.
“We’ve had about £30,000 worth of damage. Our car park got absolutely wrecked. Our bit for outside events was totalled, it has got inside, into our freezers.
“It has happened before, it happened in 2002 which was a pretty major one and a few since, but nothing like this.”
Keith has been left concerned by the council’s response to the flooding while Scott believes more needs to be done to tackle the problem in the future.
He added said: “My frustration is about the lack of support from anyone in the local authority about what we do about this.
“We’ve been here two years so this is the first time we’ve been flooded and we’ve just been left to try and find our way in the dark.
“It’s been a week and no-one from the local authority has come round.
“I’m not looking for a scapegoat, I’m looking for advice and support.”
Mr Findlay added: “Someone is going to have to sort this out.
“Something has obviously gone wrong. We want to know where (the water) is coming from because we don’t want it to happen again.”
A council spokesperson said: “Many residents have already contacted the council and we are grateful for this.
“Please note that the flooding has affected a wide area and it will take us some time to fully investigate and contact everyone.”
A Sepa spokesperson said: “Compliance with Scotland’s environmental laws is simply non-negotiable and reports of pollution help us pursue polluters and hold them to account.
“SEPA has launched an investigation into the source of the oil spillage that has affected properties in the Low Road area of Perth. We have located what is believed to be the source of the pollution and requested that all the necessary steps to clean-up the spillage are taken immediately.”
Barbara Renton, housing and environment executive director at Perth and Kinross Council, updated councillors on the flooding response at a committee meeting on Wednesday.
She said: “Senior members of staff visited the main flooding areas to identify what help we could give and offer support to residents and businesses.
“Housing staff carried out 100 health care checks.”
