Date set for Dumfries flood defence
Whitesands has flooded more than 200 times.
Last updated 20th Jan 2025
Dumfries and Galloway Council have announced a target date to begin construction of the flood protection scheme in the summer of 2026.
A “large amount of data” on water levels has already been gathered and more information will be collected each month in the lead-up to construction.
This will allow them to test “variability in groundwater levels, the influence of river/tidal levels, and the influence of rainfall”.
The Whitesands has flooded more than 200 times since records began.
Despite that, plans for the flood protection scheme have been controversial and divisive, with locals and businesses highlighting a loss of already-scarce parking spaces, and some calling the plans an eyesore.
In 2018, there was a public inquiry about whether it could go ahead, and work was eventually set to begin in 2020 – but Covid delayed plans.
The cost has spiralled from £25 million to £37 million – we’re waiting on the council to give us an updated figure.
A Council spokesperson said, “A large amount of data was produced from the Ground Investigations and finalisation of the Ground Investigation Survey report is pending after a technical review of the information.
“Points of interest include that ‘made ground’ (land where natural and undisturbed soils have largely been replaced by man-made or artificial materials) was encountered to depths between 1m-4.6m in all exploratory holes.
“Under the made ground, a sequence of sandy fine and very sandy fine to coarse gravel with bands of slightly gravelly locally gravelly silty sand was encountered. Ten boreholes were extended into rock to assess the geology.
“The target timeline being worked to for the project is the Scottish Government deadline for construction contract award by the 31 March 2026, with construction targeted to start summer 2026.
“This is subject to completion of the detailed design stage of the project enabling a full business case to be produced, with market-tested costs and delivery timescales for consideration by members towards the end of the year.”