Freuchie Mill Flood Mitigation Project
The Proposal
An approach to mitigate the impact of flooding at Freuchie Mill has been agreed between Fife Council and residents of Freuchie Mill. This comprises a number of components :
Flow Diversion Structure (FDS) - At the mill lade offtake, upstream of Freuchie Mill the intention is to construct a flow diversion structure to increase the amount of water taken from the main channel in times of high flow.
Mill Lade - To be able to take the extra flow created by the FDS the existing mill lade will have some minor capacity adjustments and vegetation management to ensure the flow is not hindered along the channel itself.
Attenuation Basin - The existing wetland area in the field between the A92 and Freuchie Mill is to be brought 'online' to the mill lade in this area. At present it is more 'offline' and operates when flows are particularly high or water is purposely directed towards it. The expectation is that the basin will contain water in this area of greenspace during high flows rather than having it spill towards the low ground of Freuchie Mill.
New Culvert - At present the culvert collects the mill lade and takes it to the garden of Freuchie Mill House before depositing flows into a short open channel and from there into a series of culverted sections behind the properties on the western boundary of Freuchie Mill. Flooding takes place here. The proposal is to introduce a new larger diameter culvert from the Attenuation Basin and take the flows directly down the access road for Freuchie Mill House in a northerly direction. The new culvert will then cross beneath Freuchie Mill Farm Road before turning east and discharging into the burn downstream of Freuchie Mill.
Existing Culvert - Beneath Freuchie Mill itself is a large diameter culvert system. The prime cause of flooding is the inability of flood water to pass down this culvert. The new proposal will mean that the existing culvert will receive less flood water in times of high flow and therefore is expected to cope with the reduced volume.
Modifications to Access Road - There are reports of surface water entering Freuchie Mill from the Farm Road access point which is on higher ground. The proposal is to introduce road and drainage modifications to reduce this risk.
Landscaping - Some minor adjustments are proposed for the roads and drainage internal to Freuchie Mill to direct surface water away from properties and towards the culvert opening at the north end of the community. This will include some landscaping of open areas and possibly some minor bunding to prevent water moving towards properties
Position at November 2022
Funding for the project has not been secured as yet but project proposals have been put forward for inclusion in the Flood Risk Management Cycle 2022-28 which may enable a funding contribution from the Scottish Government to be drawn down.
As there are insufficient funds within the Council's Flooding Budget to finance the whole project in one financial year it is being developed as a phased approach. Phasing will be as follows :
- C23 road works and associated drainage
- New outlet to Pittiloch Burn
- Attenuation Basin in field
- Mill Lade upgrade works
- Flow Diversion Structure upstream on Pittiloch Burn
- Flood protection wall inlet to existing culvert beneath Freuchie Mill
Immediate works being progressed include the installation of a 'table top' or speed table at the road junction of Freuchie Mill to act as a barrier to surface water entering Freuchie Mill. Alongside this will be a surface water swale to take water from Freuchie Mill Farm Road and around the rear of the cottages to the north of Freuchie Mill Farm Road' discharging into the Pittiloch Burn north of Freuchie Mill. A contract has been awarded for this work but a timescale has not yet been provided by the contractor.
Flooding incidents in November and December 2022 led to a special meeting of the Community Council being held on 16 January. To see the Minutes of the meeting click on the blue box below :
Current Position (April 2023)
Since the Special Meeting the Community Council has been working with Fife Council Councillors and Freuchie Mill residents to secure a commitment from Fife Council's Administration that the Freuchie Mill Flood Mitigation project will be included in the 2023/24 Capital Plan. The outcome will be known in June when a decision will be taken by full Council at its meeting on 22 June.
Update at 22 June 2023
Great news - Fife Council has earmarked £1.5mi in their Capital Plan for the flood mitigation project at Freuchie Mill. When further information on timescales etc become available it will be posted.
October 2023
After the euphoria of securing funding for the Freuchie Mill Flood Mitigation project disaster has struck before the project has even started. On Sunday 8 October after relentless rainfall since mid-afternoon on Friday there has once again been flooding at Freuchie Mill and in other parts of the village.
Meeting with Fife Council 27.10.23
On 27 October representatives from Freuchie Community Council met with the Council Spokesperson for the Environment and Climate Change and Officers from Transportation Services to discuss the timescales for delivery of the Freuchie Mill Flood Mitigation Project. We were keen to see if there was any way the project could be brought forward. Detailed design drawings were shared and the CC was pleased to hear that from an engineering perspective the designs were ready to go to tender. However, the project is dependent on securing land from a range of landowners. Negotiations have begun but the timescale for concluding land sales cannot be predicted.
A Minute of the meeting is available by clicking on the blue button below.
Fife Council Launches Grant to Help Homes affected by Flooding
Property Flood Resilience Grant
Fife Council launched a £500,000 grant scheme on 24th April 2024. Householders can apply for grants of up to £5000 towards equipment or building work intended to afford initial protection to their property. PFR grants will be assessed on a first come, first served basis so early application is advised. The application process is straightforward and can be completed online (search for Fife Council Flood Grant) or paperbased (applications can be picked up from Customer Service Centres in Glenrothes or Cupar). Basic details are required following which Fife Council will follow up for supporting information such as flood history and photos (if available) and a property assessment from the Scottish Flood Forum. This will help to determine the level of funding you may receive. The grant is intended to provide a level of initial flood resilience in advance of more significant interventions.
Update 12 February 2025
Transportation has reported that the following actions have been taken :
- Freuchie Mill Road resurfacing works completed 23.10.24
- Engagement with SEPA to discuss consents needed to deliver the project
- Engagement with Planning regarding the planning process
- Procurement of a preliminary ecological appraisal, which has been awarded to Sweco UK Limited to determine the ecological parameters and consents needed to progress the scheme
- Fife Council Estates and Legal Services are progressing land discussions as well as investigating title ownerships
- Procurement of a contractor to undertake CCTV investigation of the section of culvert on the north-west side of Freuchie Mill. Contractors programme tbc
Update March 2025
Fife Council has confirmed that funding for the Freuchie Mill project is secure. The project remains a named item in the Council's new Capital Plan.
November 2022
December 2022
Freuchie Mill October 2023
MET Office Training Courses for Members of the Community
The Met Office is delivering online courses on Winter and Summer Weather hazards, Climate Change and Met Office Information, Products and Services targeted at those who volunteer in the local community to make them more resilient to severe weather events. Details of the courses whch last 2 hours can be found by clicking on the button below.
