Fife councillors have been asked if it will take a death before action is taken to prevent a repeat of the devastating floods which caused havoc in a Fife hamlet on Friday.
The question was asked at an emergency meeting of Kemback, Pitscottie and Blebo Community Council on Monday night, where residents compared their traumatic experiences to that of a ”national disaster”.
Louise Hughes, whose house was wrecked by the flood, said: ”Will it take a death before something is done? My son could have been killed. I want to know who is responsible for the weir and want action.”
Many of the people at the meeting in Kemback Village Hall did not want to apportion specific blame for what had happened in Dura Den, near Cupar. However, amid confusion over ownership of a blocked weir close to the centre of the flooding, there was consensus from residents that urgent action was required to clear or even demolish the weir.
One resident even offered to blow it up, sparking a round of applause.
Concern was also expressed that Fife Council had known about potential blockages at the weir for years and many questioned why no remedial action had been taken.
Residents who live further up the Ceres Burn, at Pitscottie, also highlighted flooding issues involving walls and ditches.
A flood alleviation scheme developed at Pitscottie in 1994 had now failed for the second time in three years, the meeting heard.
Fears were expressed about sightseers risking their lives by peering into the chasm left when the force of the water resulted in the road partially collapsing.
Families who were forced from their homes by Friday’s floods spent the weekend embarking on a massive clear-up operation. People were trapped in their houses and others had to be rescued from vehicles as the torrential downpour on Thursday night and Friday morning caused flash floods across Fife and Tayside.
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One house in Dura Den, which had its gable end swept away by a river of water, is thought to be beyond repair.
The torrent also caused part of the road through the picturesque community to collapse and cascade through two houses below.
Fife Council has dispatched surveyors to look at the weir where the burn burst its banks and the C45 road through Dura Den.
One resident said: ”None of us are trying to apportion blame but the owner of the weir, whoever it is, should be held to account. This has been an accident waiting to happen.
”People have been prepared for evacuation before because of the weir backing up. I don’t want to apportion blame but it’s frustrating that the council have known about this for years.”
Fife Council services manager Michael Thorpe said teams had been out since Friday.
Limited inspector resources meant there was still a lot of road to check and council workers had been aiming to get a machine in behind the weir today to remove tree debris.
However, he said a ”chain of events” were likely to be responsible for what happened, not just the weir.
He said it was proving ”difficult to establish” who owned the weir but investigations were continuing.
Responding to a public question, he said it was his understanding that the council, in the absence of an owner, could act independently if the weir was deemed unsafe or dangerous.
Community Council chairman Jack Lord said they had raised concerns about trees blocking the weir several times over the years.
He praised Scottish Water and ScottishPower for their efforts in the aftermath and looked forward to action being taken.
Fife councillor Margaret Kennedy who attended with fellow councillors Karen Marjoram, Bryan Poole and locality manager Kate Hughes said it was important members of the community got round the table with Fife Council to discuss what to do next.