Flood Defences
Flooding Mitigation
Storm Frank swept through Scotland on December 30, 2015, bringing flooding that devasted homes and businesses. Ballater was one of the worst hit villages.
Aberdeenshire Council await a funding decision from Scottish Government without which, their recommended Ballater flood defences will not be constructed.
The local community does not support this recommended 2019 scheme, since the economic and social cost to the community is deemed too high. In addition, the economic cost benefit of these defences for Ballater when compared to other projects in Scotland means that funding is unlikely to be granted. These are challenging times for local and central government finances, so that, rather than just waiting for something (or nothing) to happen, the community has decided that it must itself start doing something on the ground progressively to mitigate the existing flood risks.
The Ballater and Crathie Community Council’s Flooding Issues Group (FIG) has worked on various workstreams including establishing an emergency procedure with the local Fire & Rescue watch commander, encouraging the uptake of property level protection (PLP) and working with the Cairngorms National Park Authority and a multi-agency workgroup to look at catchment level solutions to water management.
HESCO Box Project
In the 8 years since Storm Frank the Dee in the vicinity of Ballater has changed significantly and keeps changing. A 2023 Aberdeenshire Council commissioned study showed that the risk to the community during high frequency low level flooding has increased significantly.
In face of this increased risk, Ballater Community Trust raised funds to implement some of the options recommended by the additional study. This involved the clearing of a partially blocked water course and the installation of 150-metre bund wall. The main funders for the project were the Ballater Charitable Chiels, the Ballater Caravan Park owners Ballater Community Enterprise Ltd and the Marr Area Committee.
In addition, two local estates, Balmoral and Invercauld, donated materials and Colin Lawson transport donated material Haulage. Aberdeenshire Council provided the 150 metres of Hesco boxes.
A group of local volunteers, the Ballater Royal Deeside Flood Action Community Team (FACT), led by Neil Duncan, worked alongside and under the direction of a local contractor. The bund was finished at the end of 2023, ahead of time and under Budget. The lower village now has some protection against lower level flooding and it has already kept the village dry on 22 January 2024.
The final phase is now being finalised and will involve covering the water side of the Hescos with soil, installing an erosion control mesh and then a final covering of top soil. The bund will then be seeded and watered depending on weather.
Ballater Community Trust is currently making a funding application to the Cairngorms National Park Authority climate adaptation fund to finance this phase. The funding decision is expected end of June and subject to that work will commence in July. We are very grateful to Abergeldie Estate for the donation of windblown trees and to Ballater Golf Club for providing the soil and as landowner for their general support. The wind blown trees will be transported on site and then placed in accordance with CBEC recommendations to aid further protection.
CBEC (Updated June 2024)
In May 2024, Ballater Community Trust employed CBEC Eco Engineering Ltd (cbec) to undertake an Outline Flood Mitigation Design - the first of 3 phases of the Flood Mitigation work:
Phase 1 - Outline Design
Phase 2 - Detailed Design
Phase 3 - Build
Phase 1 - Outline Option Work
The first phase provides mitigation options for various levels of flooding risk, so there are several defence options, with associated costs. CBEC have looked at both out of river and in river options, as many in the community favour dredging and profiling options and action on the Red Braes.
CBEC started Phase 1 Work at the end of May and completed it during August 2024. Their report is now available on the Ballater & Crathie Community Council’s (BCCC) website.
This report provides a basis for BCCC Flood Issues Group to consider and recommend to the community what to do, how to fund this and to move on with the 2nd and 3rd phases of work. This work is at a very early stage. Until we understand better the level of protection that we currently have, following recent works and what each option can add in terms of protection and what it will cost, it is difficult to decide how best to progress. The next stage will be mathematical modelling and then design for a selected option(s). This will require additional funding. A follow up public meeting will be held before the end of the year to enable the community to consider and discuss the Phase 1 options and how best to proceed.
Phases 2 and 3
Proceeding with detailed design and build will require considerably more funding. The amount of money raised will determine the level of flood protection that can be built.
Ballater Community Trust are continuing to raise funds to proceed with Phases 2 and 3.
BCCC and Ballater Community Trust are acutely aware of the urgency of delivering Flood Mitigation Defences. They are therefore focused on ensuring the project phases proceed with the minimum of delay.
