The controversial £25 million Whitesands flood defence scheme has been “washed away” in its current form after this week’s budget meeting.
The Conservatives’ budget was voted through which proposed no funding for the project. Campaigner and councillor David Slater hopes it will result in the plans being permanently shelved.
Independent councillor Mr Slater voted for the Tories’ budget at Tuesday’s meeting. He said: “At this moment in time that particular design is washed away.
“The Labour budget and the SNP and independent budget wanted another £200,000 pledged to the scheme and I said a long time ago that was a red line to me.
“It’s a red line because thousands of people have signed a petition and don’t want that particular design in the town. They don’t like it, they’ve never liked it since day one.”
Uncertainty has surrounded the project for months as costing will have “significantly changed” in the years since the £25 million figure was quoted. Planning permission from the Scottish Government expires later this month and Holyrood is conducting a review into all previously agreed flood-defence schemes.
Mr Slater, who was part of the Save Our Sands group before becoming a councillor, said: “The flood resilience group wanted another £200,000 to bring in more consultants to see if they’ve got things right and if it’s feasible to be built. I thought that they’d done all of this before and why do they need another £200,000?
“Their planning runs out on March 23 so I believe the money would’ve been used to show the Scottish Government they were still working on the scheme.
“I stand by my vote. I believe it was independent and I couldn’t go against thousands of people in the town that have signed the petition against this flood scheme that don’t want it. I like to see things right to the end and hopefully I have done that.”
“They’re looking at other ways to prevent flooding. It’s not all about building higher walls it’s about people in communities. They have to take that into consideration and I don’t think they did. It should have been stopped long ago but that should be the end of it.”
