Council approves plans to demolish 150 homes damaged by Storm Babet flooding

Dozens of Brechin homes damaged during Storm Babet are set to be demolished.

Councillors have approved plans to knock down more than 150 properties that were flooded during the storm nearly three years ago.

This includes 29 privately owned homes that were devastated when the River South Esk burst its banks in October 2023.

Three people died, and hundreds fled their homes as the storm brought flooding and 70mph gusts of wind through the north east of Scotland in October 2023.

At a special meeting of Angus Council on Wednesday, councillors were given several options from officials for the properties in the River Street, Nursery Lane and Nursery Park area – many of which have remained boarded up since the storm.

It was recommended that councillors approve the demolition of 139 properties.

Homes were destroyed during Storm Babet STV News

However, this plan would not have involved any improvements to the flood defence scheme, which now only offers a fraction of the one-in-200-year protection level it was built to withstand when completed in 2016.

£8 million Brechin flood demolition plan approved

A motion, lodged by Brechin and Edzell representative Jill Scott, instead asked councillors to back an £8m option that includes enhancements to flood protection in the area and the demolition of 154 homes.

The proposed uplift to the flood defences would be a combination of concrete walls and flood gates through The Inch.

It would also include glass panels at the top of the River Street concrete flood wall, concrete block sections at the top of the East Mill Road caravan site wall and an increase in height to the earth bund downstream of the caravan park.

Angus councillors unanimously backed Scott’s motion.

For the privately owned homes affected, the council will seek voluntary agreements, offering market value, statutory compensation and reasonable moving and professional costs.

If agreement cannot be reached, the council will look to use compulsory purchase orders to buy the properties.

The cleared land will become public open space.

Speaking during the meeting, Scott said: “This option includes the proposed uplift of the flood defence wall.

“Reaching this position, the administration has balanced future risk of flooding against the financial implications of the proposed works to identify the most appropriate outcome for the people of the Bechin River Street area.”

Lack of flood defence improvements ‘would have sent terrible message’

Brechin councillor Chris Beattie said the option recommended by officers, which did not include flood protection enhancements, would have sent a “terrible” message to those affected.

“Putting people first is at the heart of our council plan, and our first priority should be the safety of our people,” he said.

“The preferred option originally presented in the papers today would have set that aside, I think, and left our people at risk.

“It would have sent a terrible message to the people of Angus.

“[The option approved by councillors] provides a balance between dealing with properties that would flood and offers protection to the residents and businesses that remain by uplifting the flood protection scheme.”

Councillor Gavin Nicol said: “It has been nearly three years since Storm Babet tore through our community.

“For families living on River Street, those years haven’t just been a bureaucratic process; they are years spent in limbo, living in constant anxiety, displacement, and trauma of seeing their homes and memories submerged.

“The prospect of demolishing over 100 homes and pursuing compulsory purchases is devastating for anyone who still hopes to rebuild their life on the street they love.

“If we must move forward with this difficult demolition, we must do so with a heavy dose of humanity, absolute transparency and a commitment to fight for fair compensation and proper housing for every resident, tenant, and homeowner.

“Let us make sure our compassion matches the scale of the disruption we are voting on today.”