A crisis meeting to find a solution to the flooding chaos in Perth over the past few years will be held in the city next week.
Residents, local politicians and council representatives will be among those to descend on the public summit led by Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart, who described the issue as “one of the biggest problems facing our city”.
The gathering will take place at Craigie Church Hall on Friday, October 28 after the Fair City was hammered by the latest mass deluge last month.
Homes and businesses across Craigie and Cherrybank were plunged into chaos on September 8 after the region was battered with heavy downpours and floodwater, the second such event in the area in two years.
The South Inch floodgates were closed by council workers the night before after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain.
Despite this gullies and drains were completely overrun in the area with Cherrybank Inn owner Scott Findlay saying some areas were “flowing like a river”.
The inn’s car park and beer garden were completely submerged in water - causing thousands of pounds worth of damage - and the PA reported that one family in Croft Park had been flooded out their home entirely.
A number of streets in Perth had to be closed with many bus and train services cancelled due to the torrential deluge.
Next Friday’s meeting will hear from affected residents and will offer a platform for attendees to discuss cross-sector solutions.
Representatives from SEPA, Scottish Water and the Scottish Flood Forum have all also confirmed their attendance, as well as Perthshire South and Kinross-shire MSP Jim Fairlie.
“After meeting with constituents and seeing first-hand the extent of damage caused by the recent flooding event in Perth, it is clear that this is now one of the biggest problems facing our city,” Mr Wishart said.
“Households and businesses are having to fork up thousands of pounds worth of damages at a time when they are already being battered by the cost-of-living crisis.
“There is also a real sense of dread at the prospect of this happening again in the near future, with climate change predicted to make these kinds of events more frequent.
“That is why I am holding a public meeting between local residents and representatives from relevant parties.
“I want to hear the views of those affected, as well as find out what action is being taken already and what more needs to be done.
“Long-term solutions will not be easy nor cheap, but the fact is that the cost of inaction will be greater.
“It is therefore vital that all parties work together to come up with a plan that will better protect these areas from future events of this scale.”
On September 8, Samantha and Richard Lamond and their two children had to move into temporary accommodation since the ground floor of their home in Croft Park was wrecked by floodwater and sewage.
It was the third time in just over two years this had happened and they implored Perth and Kinross Council to improve flood defences and upgrade drainage.
Those calls were echoed by businesses, the Cherrybank Inn and Cherrybank Garage, both losing thousands of pounds amid the clear up.
Queen’s Avenue resident Julie Romano was unable to leave her home that day as her section of the street was completely submerged.
At the time a council spokesperson said that the drain surface water system was “at capacity” and that protecting properties from flooding is then the “responsibility of individual householders”.
The public meeting hosted by Mr Wishart will take place on Friday, October 28 from 12-2pm at Craigie Church Hall. All with concerns are invited to attend.
