An early warning system could be added to Dunfermline’s £35 million flood prevention scheme despite continued denial it failed during a torrential downpour in November.
The local authority is to consider adding a device to the recently completed scheme which would be the first time it has used such technology to raise the alarm when water levels rise.
The town’s Lovers Loan and surrounding area was flooded, causing a wall to collapse on to two sports cars, when a rubbish screen protecting the Tower Burn culvert was blocked with leaves and other debris from Pittencrieff Park during weather likened to a monsoon.
Fife Council senior manager Derek Crowe said this could not be construed as failure of the controversial scheme, completed years late and over budget.
He said it had worked as designed and prevented an immense volume of debris from blocking the culvert beyond.
However, he said the council was willing to install a warning device normally used for rivers if the cost was reasonable.
He said: “Given the difficulties we have dealt with here we are looking at, for the first time, bringing in some form of early warning system.”
While such systems have been installed by residents at burns in Freuchie and Falkland, Mr Crowe said they had never been used by the council.
He said officers had done all they could to ensure the grill was clear, carrying out weekly inspections and a check the day before the flood in response to a Met Office warning.
Dunfermline Central councillor Neale Hanvey claimed homes were being put at risk by refusal to accept that the flood prevention scheme had failed.
He said: “If we are saying the scheme did not fail, then we are saying to my constituents that despite spending £35m and enduring years of misery, your home is still at risk of flooding and all that entails.”
He continued: “It is absolutely clear from this event that the whole scheme’s weakness is the trash screen and failing to maintain it promptly and properly risks the very flooding the scheme was built to prevent.”
Mr Crowe accepted that the rubbish screen, which has since had some bars removed to allow smaller debris to pass through, was part of the system and said monthly mechanical clearance was also now being conducted.
Lights are also to be installed to aid any future emergency works and more regular clearing of park debris has been requested.
Mr Crowe said that although a guarantee could never be given against flooding the site had a very high level of service to prevent future incidents.
Executive councillor Judy Hamilton said the flood prevention scheme had worked well throughout recent storms and heavy rainfall.
“We have had unprecedented weather conditions throughout Scotland and the UK and we have not seen any further incident,” she said.
“Dunfermline flood prevention scheme has not failed this was an absolutely unprecedented event.”
In addition to the early warning scheme, the council’s environment, finance and communities scrutiny committee recommended a rotating rubbish screen should also be considered and a report made back to the executive committee.