Long-standing flooding problems in a Perthshire village are costing taxpayers about £3,000 a month, it has emerged.
Emergency repairs were carried out at Scone early last year, after streets were swamped following a night of heavy downpours.
The problems were blamed on a faulty drain that runs under part of the village. Shortly before Christmas 2013, it had collapsed at two points under the doorway of a home in Perth Road and in the car park of the Wheel Inn causing massive holes to appear in the ground.
The barrel drain became blocked during torrential rainfall and flooded the area.
A year ago Perth and Kinross Council spent around £32,000 on emergency repair work. However, the local authority said that because the collapsed area is on private land, it could take no further action.
Since that time, the hiring of security fencing and trench supports at the 20ft by 40ft hole in the Wheel Inn car park has cost the council approximately £3,000 a month roughly £68,000 since the problems began.
The Courier understands that landowners have now tasked contractors to carry out repairs, which should get under way next Monday.
Hazel Mackinnon, secretary of Scone and District Community Council, said the group is concerned about the “financial burden” to the local authority.
“We consider that an investigation should be undertaken as a matter of urgency, to carry out engineering works to reduce the costs to Perth and Kinross Council,” she said.
She added that concern for the broken barrel drain had not been alleviated, despite assurances last week that the council was monitoring the problem using CCTV cameras.
A council spokeswoman said: “To resolve the immediate problem for flooded neighbours, Perth and Kinross Council carried out emergency repair work at the site (in February 2014) to excavate and clear the drain.
“However, the land and the affected area of the drain remains in private ownership and it would be inappropriate for the council to carry out any work beyond dealing with the emergency repair.”
She added: “To protect the public from injury on the open site, while the private owners made arrangements to address the issue, the council has monitored the site and maintained trench supports and security fencing around the open area of the drain over the past year. During that time we were in regular contact with the owners about the need for them to take over responsibility for safety on their site and remove the pressure on public funds.”
She confirmed that the local authority had been told that work would get under way on repairs this month.