Council to enhance flood defence

The River Devon burst its banks and inundated homes and businesses

A riverside pathway in Clackmannanshire is to be raised to help prevent future flooding to homes and businesses.

The local authority said a 200m section of the route, which operates as a cycle path and walkway next to Elistoun Drive, would be raised by one metre.

The area was among the worst affected when water from the River Devon inundated homes in January.

Work to heighten the path will begin on Monday, 3 November and be completed before Christmas.

Clackmannanshire Council said the work would help protect the area from the impact of a predicted one in 200-year flood event, plus a 20% allowance for climate change.

Trees removed

There had been concerns that constructing flood defences at key points along the river may cause flooding to occur elsewhere.

However, officials said the new defence would not adversely impact upon other areas.

They added that in order to ensure the future "effectiveness and stability" of the embankment, a "significant amount" of vegetation, including trees, would have to be removed.

Cllr Eddie Carrick said: "I'd like to thank residents of Elistoun Drive for their patience while we made sure that any works we carried out would not cause problems up or down stream.

"Thankfully, we are now able to go ahead and give these houses a certain level of protection."

An investigation into the cause of January's severe flooding of the Devon blamed exceptionally high levels of rainfall.