Council response to flooding Smithton, Culloden and Balloch

The Highland Council is reporting that gulley maintenance in Smithton, Culloden and Balloch was not the cause of flooding in the area earlier this week.

Significant flooding which made roads impassable occurred on Smithton Road, Barn Church Rd (near to tower Rd Junction) and Barn Church Road (near to Balloch School).

The cause of this was primarily due to discharge from watercourses which had exceed their capacities. This discharge brought with it, sand and silt, which subsequently caused blockages within the roads gully systems.

The Council confirms that the majority of gullies within Smithton were cleaned in early 2014 and specifically Smithton Road on 3 February 2014; and Barn Church Road over a period between 4 February 2014 and 27 February 2014.

The flooding experienced at Smithton was caused by the sheer intensity and volume of the rainfall. The capacity of watercourses and culverts was exceeded upstream of Smithton village in the vicinity of the Smithton playing fields.  Road gullies are incapable of carrying such a quantity of water.

Additional problems were caused by drivers going too fast through standing water and their ‘wakes’ caused flooding.  The Council was advised of this by the Fire and Rescue Service when they requested that Smithton Road be closed.  This was immediately agreed to.

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