£16m Bridge of Allan flood defence plan approved
Bridge of Allan's proposed flood protection scheme will go ahead after councillors gave it the official green light this week.
Stirling Council's Environment, Transport and Net Zero Committee confirmed the £16 million scheme at a meeting on Thursday May 29.
Scheme confirmation is a legal requirement and ensures Scottish Government funding for the project remains secure.
Full sign-off was delayed by a month as a result of a last-minute objection to the flood defence proposals in late April.
However, on Thursday council officers said the late objection had not been deemed valid, meaning confirmation could proceed as planned.
According to Stirling Council, a total of 24 objections were received prior to the submission deadline.
Six were considered valid, while 18 'did not meet the legal requirements' and were rejected.
All six valid complaints were later withdrawn, following further discussion with the council.
Earlier this month, lifelong Bridge of Allan resident Ronald Don shared his concerns about the flood defence proposals with The Courier.
Mr Don claims his formal objection was unfairly rejected by the council and he was not allowed to appeal.
During the committee meeting, Thomas Heald, Conservative councillor for Dunblane and Bridge of Allan said the new defences have been 'a long time coming' and will 'give a lot of peace of mind' to locals.
But he added a 'plea' about engagement, stressing that open communication with residents is still needed as the scheme progresses.
SNP Stirling North councillor Jim Thomson asked for a 'flavour' of the range of objections received, which were not presented to elected members.
Senior flood officer Katrina Smith said common themes included the impact on Bridge of Allan's allotments and the Cornton Road area, as well as concerns over value for money.
Convener and Stirling West councillor for Labour Jen Preston raised the idea of publishing the detail of the objections received.
However, the council's lead solicitor Mark Easton said ''probably not' would be the view' on doing so, since the objections had either been rejected or resolved.
The plan is for the new flood protection infrastructure to be built on the site of the existing defences as much as possible.
These were installed in the 1980s.
Modern additions will include a short extension past Bridge of Allan's allotments, as well as near Lyon Crescent.
A new embankment will also be constructed next to the town's factory site and Inverallan Road.
Stirling Council has budgeted £1.26m for the flood defences during the financial year 2025-26.
The Scottish Government has agreed to pay 80% of the estimated overall £16m cost, with the council providing the other 20%.
Part of the deal with the government stipulates that a contractor must be appointed to the project by March 31 2026.
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