Moray Council’s leader has praised the region’s efforts to combat flooding – and pledged to assist other areas devastated by the recent catastrophic weather.
Stewart Cree said Moray is leading the way when it comes to protecting communities from the heartbreak flooding can bring, with work on an £86million scheme in Elgin completing this summer.
But the council boss fears north-east authorities struck by recent deluges may struggle to secure enough government funding for similar schemes, and has vowed to offer local expertise to help establish defences.
“When we first sought to address flooding there was not a huge clamour from elsewhere for those funds,” he said.
“Now, I imagine it will be more and more difficult to get the money to install protection works.
“The amount of money we have already spent on programmes in Moray is perhaps similar to the sum communities across Scotland will have to share between them.”
The council took measures against flooding across Moray following horrific bouts in Elgin, Rothes and Forres in the past.
Mr Cree said the council had developed a reputation for providing a “benchmark” example of how to progress flood prevention works.
He added: “I feel a huge degree of sympathy for these communities affected recently.
“But we have got expertise here and we would be delighted to share it as things progress.”
Yesterday Deputy First Minister John Swinney maintained that councils across Scotland had been provided “adequate funding” to cover all flood prevention schemes earmarked for the next five years.
Moray Council finished a £25million flood alleviation programme at Rothes in 2011, and last year finalised £45million of work in Forres.
In August the council announced that the finishing touches had been put to a costly project in Elgin, while smaller schemes at Lossiemouth, Portgordon and Newmill were approved by Moray councillors last month.
Community representatives in Lossiemouth say recent flooding across Scotland highlighted the dire need to shield residents from rising waters.
Homes in the Seatown area have been drenched in the past, but escaped flooding during the worst of this week’s weather.
Chairman of Lossiemouth Community Council, Mike Mulholland, said: “The council has agreed to spend the money on flood protection, and that’s the most important thing.
“Events like these just reinforce why they were right to do that.”