Scottish ministers will scrutinise plans for a £16million Aberdeenshire flood protection scheme after it failed to resolve a number of objections from locals.
And one Stonehaven resident said the proposed flood protection scene for the town – which was approved by Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services committee on Thursday – would impact upon his business and home.
Other locals said the council should consider “natural flood defences” such as tree planting, further up the reaches of the River Carron, in order to prevent future floods in the town.
Homes were devastated in Stonehaven in 2009 and 2012 when the river burst its banks, with locals calling for protection ever since.
And they gave representations to the council this week, highlighting their concerns.
The Stonehaven Flood Protection Scheme would bring glass-topped flood walls about 6.5ft high and self-closing barriers along the Carron.
The river’s Red Bridge would be replaced, the Green Bridge moved, the White Bridge elevated and the Beach Bridge strengthened.
John Briggs owns Stonehaven’s Persian Rugs store on Bridgefield, on the banks of the Carron, and is concerned at the height of the proposed self-raising wall outside his property, arguing that it may also narrow the river.
The businessman has been flooded out twice and claimed detailed plans of the impact on his property were yet to be properly thought out.
He said: “I am concerned about the details of the plans, because I have been presented with three sets of plans for the building.
“I was against them coming into the building in the first place, but after seeing the effect on my building, it is going to be completely hidden apart from the top part of my building.
“I have had to take legal advice on this. It would impact on my building but also the whole view at Bridgefield to White Bridge.”
The council’s head of roads, Philip McKay, said: “We are speaking about something that is on a scale that no one in Stonehaven has seen.
“I am confident that, in order to provide that level of protection, the scheme [drawn up by the council] is the right way to do it. There are no guarantees with flood protection.”
However, he added the defences could not last forever, due to inevitable environmental changes.
David MacDonald, secretary of the Stonehaven Flood Action Group, backed the amended plans and asked the council to “implement the scheme at the earliest date”.
Scottish ministers will be notified of the council’s decision to approve the scheme, and may choose to hold a local public inquiry before making a final decision.