Insurance firm to make Ballater goodwill flood payments

The floods caused misery in some Ballater homes

An insurance company involved in a row with homeowners affected by flooding has said it will make goodwill payments to households in Ballater.

Integra had been criticised for voiding some policies after Storm Frank devastated parts of the Deeside town.

Several householders said their policies had been voided because of a dispute over how far their properties were from the River Dee.

Integra said it would contact every affected customer to offer assistance.

In a statement, the firm said the payments would be made on an ex-gratia basis - a goodwill payment rather than a legal requirement.

It added that the company was "acutely aware of the trauma and hardship resulting from the recent floods".

Part of carriageway linking Ballater to Braemar fell into the water near Crathie during Storm Frank

The statement continued: "A small number of our customers have been notified that their home insurance policy with Integra has been voided.

"It's very rare that we void policies as this only ever occurs in situations where the information provided by the customer at quotation stage and at renewal differs fundamentally to the facts.

"Had we been aware of these facts then no quotation or offer of cover would have been provided by Integra."

It is not clear how much money the firm will pay to the affected householders.

Last month, it emerged that the cost of the clear-up in Aberdeenshire in the aftermath of Storm Frank was expected to reach £7.6m.

A large proportion of the money is being spent on repairing and refurbishing 22 flood-damaged council houses in the Ballater area.