'Major milestone' reached in new £16m flood defence scheme
In total, £12m of funding for the scheme will be provided by the Scottish Government as part of the national programme, 'Funding of Flood Scheme Protections', with the remainder from Stirling Council.
Engagement and consultation has taken place on the proposals with the local community and other key stakeholders at drop-in sessions and via an online survey.
The new defence scheme is designed to protect against a flood which, statistically, occurs once every 50 years. Work is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2026 and will last an estimated 18 months.
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The current defences, constructed in the 1980s, are now reaching the end of their service life. As a result, some elements are in poor condition and no longer provide sufficient flood protection in the face of more frequent and intense flood events driven by climate change.
Convener of the Environment, Transport and Net Zero committee, Cllr Jen Preston, said: 'Delivering a new flood protection scheme for Bridge of Allan is a major priority as the existing infrastructure is not fit for purpose, especially with a changing climate and an increase in extreme weather events.
'Monday's decision is a major milestone as it means we can start the process of appointing a specialist contractor to design and build the scheme and also ensures we keep to key project deadlines.
'The significant investment in the new defences will greatly reduce the flooding risks from the Allan Water to residents, businesses and other facilities on both banks of the river.
'Detailed planning work has gone into the new scheme and we have followed the alignment of the existing infrastructure as much as possible to minimise disruption to local communities.
'We have listened to the views of the local community as the proposals have been developed and further engagement with residents and businesses will take place before construction starts.'
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