Resolving issues surrounding polluted land could bring work to a standstill on the current project in Rothes and the planned flood alleviation scheme for Elgin.

Any additional delays could send costs spiralling, worried councillors highlighted this week.

Contamination issues have still to be resolved at the Back Burn programme in Rothes, and are holding up work, said Councillor Pearl Paul (Speyside Glenlivet), who lives in the town. The anticipated completion of construction on that phase has already slipped from March to December.

"I really feel we have to know what is going on. It bothers me that we are talking about two departments of Moray Council. It will have far-reaching effects and it is costing money. Why can't the contaminated land section agree to what is needed?" she said.

A similar issue could arise with the Elgin scheme, said Councillor John Russell (Elgin City North), chairman of the flood alleviation sub-committee, which met on Wednesday to give councillors progress reports on the four current schemes.

"I don't think alarm bells were ringing at our last committee meeting. The slippage from March to December is a big delay, and this could carry on into the Elgin one. This is an issue which has to be sorted out," he said.

"We have to find out where we have gone wrong so that we can avoid it in the future."

Having to halt construction work when teams are on site could cost £60,000 a month, the meeting heard.

Scheme manager Bob Strachan said that two phases are being worked on in Rothes:on the Black Burn and the Back Burn, which was started in July last year. Flood walls have been concreted and drainage connections to surface water pipes completed.

"If you have been past, you will have noticed the storage pond and large bund being constructed to the south," Mr Strachan said.

"We started on the outfall to the River Spey this week, but had to pull off because the river has come up. We hope to get the culvert units in before the fishing season starts on February 11."

Issues over possible contaminated land still have to be resolved around Glen Grant Distillery, said Dave Gowans, project director for the Moray flood alleviation team.

"We have put in a lot of work, and we are still required to carry out site investigation work there. There are far more contaminated land issues we will have to deal with in Rothes and Elgin, and we will have to put in quite a bit of effort to see how we can smooth the progress of the contaminated land issue."

The meeting heard it was fortunate that the contractors were able to get on with other parts of the scheme, minimising hold-ups as far as possible.

Mr Gowans added: "All we can do as part of the flood alleviation team is to work as well as we can with the regulators as quickly as possible."

The sub-committee called for a report to be brought to the next full meeting of Moray Council in a bid to progress matters.

e.green@northern-scot.co.uk

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