Reducing the risk of flooding in Montrose
What we are doing
Scottish Water has been working with a group of local stakeholders in recent years to investigate and address flooding problems in the Borrowfield area of Montrose.
Flooding has affected several streets in the area – both to the north and south of Newhame Road – over a period of many decades. Scottish Water is responsible for the sewer network across the country; and we have confirmed that a large part of the flooding problem has been caused by a lack of capacity in the local sewers during heavy rainstorms, which are becoming more frequent under the influence of climate change.
Customers in the area have had their streets flooded, with damage to cars and gardens – and ongoing worry during weather conditions when flooding may occurAt a glance
- Project to address flooding in the Borrowfield area of Montrose.
- Construction of a large underground storage tank near the pond in Borrowfield Park.
- Estimated investment value of around £9 million
- Further investigation is still required on site to make sure the ground conditions are suitable for these proposals
Investment Proposal
Following extensive survey work, we have now identified an investment proposal which would significantly reduce the risk of sewer flooding in the area, with allowance for the impact of more frequent intense rainstorms.
This would involve the construction of a large underground storage tank near the pond in Borrowfield Park. Additional work would need to be carried out in a number of nearby streets to transfer stormwater to the tank during heavy rainfall.
In March this year, the project received approval in principle, enabling it to move into a phase where a project team will make more detailed preparations for construction. This decision was based on an estimated investment value of around £9 million which would need to be funded as part of Scottish Water’s capital programme.
What happens next
- We are engaging a project team to prepare for and deliver the investment that is needed.
- Further investigation is still required on site to make sure the ground conditions are suitable for these proposals and develop a more detailed design.
- The team will also develop proposals to minimise disruption for local residents during the construction process as far as we can.
- Further communication and engagement with local residents will take place once more detailed plans have been developed – and further approvals will need to be obtained before any construction work can begin.
Proposed Project for Borrowfield, Montrose
Construction activity will be required across a significant area. The underground storage tank itself is proposed to be 25 metres wide, 9.5 metres deep and to store up to 3.5 million litres - more than an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Streets that would be affected by work to enable new pipes to be installed include: Newhame Road, Newmanswalls Avenue, Aulton Way, Provost Mitchell Road, Borrowfield Road and Renny Crescent.
We recognise the work we are proposing in the area is significant and wanted to update customers at this early stage to share the outline of the scheme. While some investigations on site will begin sooner, the main work – which remains subject to findings and approvals – is not expected to be ready to begin until 2025.
Our team will not have answers to all questions yet, but you can contact us with any initial queries or concerns using the details below – please include the reference ‘Capital/502700’. We are very grateful for the patience and understanding of customers in the area - especially those who have been affected by flooding and have contributed significantly to our work to understand and mitigate flood risk locally. Our project team will be back in touch once we have more detailed information that we can share.
