Doubts expressed about Ballater flood prevention work

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

Nearly a year after serious flooding brought misery to parts of Aberdeenshire, doubts have been expressed about work intended to prevent future floods.

Ballater was one of the communities worst affected.

Some local people there have said flood prevention measures have failed to tackle the greatest dangers.

Aberdeenshire Council said it has spent £40,000 on rebuilding a section of river bank in Ballater.

More than 170 households in Aberdeenshire are still in temporary accommodation.

Wrong area

Ballater flood group volunteer Tony Cox thinks the council has concentrated on the wrong part of the river bank.

He said: "We're standing more or less on the repair section that the council inserted which is known as the '40 metre section'.

"It repairs an area here but unfortunately this is not where the flood made its entrance onto the golf course.

"That's further round the river, further upstream, and that has not yet been addressed."

Sandbags were used to protect Ballater during previous flood alerts

Aberdeenshire Council chief executive Jim Savage agreed that it has taken a while for flooded-out residents to get back home.

He said: "It's really sad to see that it does take a long time to get people back in.

"That can be for many different reasons in terms of the level of damage to the house, their personal circumstances, insurance situation, whatever it may be.

"It's very sad to see that happening. I hope and think that whatever we need to do collectively we'll do so, to get people back in as soon as possible."

For 63-year-old local resident Josephine Hazley that cannot come soon enough.

"We are hoping to come at the end of January," she said. "We've been promised that and we're very much looking forward to that."