An Angus OAP has laid out £12,000 for flood barriers around his home after living in fear of it being swamped.
Retired lorry driver John Ewen said he wasn’t prepared to wait for Angus Council making improvements to the drainage system outside his cottage on Forfar’s Lochside Road.
And the costly investment paid off within weeks when it held back September storms.
Torrential rain caused chaos in other parts of Forfar.
The town centre was shut overnight after some businesses were hit for the second time since 2019.
But 71-year-old John says he still wants to see work to reduce the risk of future flooding on his street.
He blames the problem on a lack of gulleys to catch water pouring down Brechin Road and into Lochside Road.
“I only moved in here three years’ ago but I’m told there’s been problems here for a long time,” he said.
“The first gulley is right at my front gate, but it can’t cope if there’s a storm.
“I just wasn’t prepared to take the risk of the house being flooded if there was a downpour.
“Scottish Water say there’s a non-return valve in the system and that drainage is the council’s responsibility, but I wasn’t getting anywhere with them.
“So I went ahead and had the gates installed.
“It was £10,000 plus VAT, which took them to just over £12,000.
“They were only installed a couple of weeks before the storm in September.
“There were two downpours that day, one in the morning and then again later in the day.
“If the gates hadn’t been up we definitely would have been flooded.
“They are really solid. But I will have to make sure they are locked and secure if I go away in holiday in case there’s a sudden storm.
“My house is the one which would get flooded first in Lochside Road.
“But just because the gates are here doesn’t mean the street won’t get flooded so I’m still pushing the council for something to be done.
“They need gulleys up Brechin Road to take the water away.”
Flood prevention projects
He said he has watched millions being spent on flood schemes in Brechin and Arbroath, as well as on projects including Montrose coastal protection and a scheme to improve a cycle path at Elliot.
“This street is going to continue to flood so why can’t they do something to sort it out?” said John.
Angus Council did not responded to a request for comment or indicate if drainage improvements for the area are planned.
But the authority began work this week to repair damage caused by September’s storm.
Part of Lour Road will be closed off for ten days to replace a culvert near Mount Feredith.
And another project will begin at the end of this month to put in extra drainage near Balmashanner Hill.
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