Businesses fear Brechin ‘forgotten’ after flooding as Government support urged

Businesses hit by the worst of Storm Babet have called for the Scottish Government to provide urgent support as they count the cost of the flooding.

One business owner said Brechin in Angus – where flood defences were breached and several streets were inundated – had become a “forgotten town”.

Conservative North East MSP Tess White said there appears to be “no plan” for recovery for the region.

Across Angus, hundreds of properties were damaged by Storm Babet and the council says at least 40 businesses have been affected.

In the area around River Street in Brechin, some people have been unable to return to homes which were damaged when the River South Esk burst its banks last month.

It is not currently known exactly how many people have been displaced.

Alan Johnston, chief executive of Brechin Castle Centre, is calling for support from the Government, including help in promoting businesses ahead of Christmas.

He told the PA news agency his company had been refused an emergency grant of £1,000 due to “extremely limited” funds from the council.

While the castle escaped the flooding, the total cost to the business from days of closure and weeks of reduced footfall is thought to be around £150,000.

He said: “Humza Yousaf said (Brechin) needed immediate support from the Scottish Government. That hasn’t happened.

“They need to look at some sort of support package similar to Covid.”

Blair Meston owns a garage and ABK Aggregates in Brechin. Both were badly damaged in the flooding and some of his customers’ cars ended up floating in 1.7 metres of water.

He says he may need to consider liquidation within a few weeks if financial help does not come quickly.

He told PA: “It’s ridiculous, the Scottish Government can do more – what they’re handing out isn’t cutting the mustard.”

Mr Meston said “Brechin seems to be a forgotten town” amid ongoing problems with transport links and rumours a key bridge is beyond repair.

He continued: “We’ve lost about £90,000. That’s massive for a small company.”

MSP Ms White also said the region appears to have been “forgotten” by the Government.

“There’s no plan, the council’s massively underfunded and cut to the bone and they’re getting no help,” she said.

Her own home was damaged in the storm when water started pouring in.

Earlier this week, the Treasury announced it had switched the allocation of £60 million in capital funding for the Scottish Government to resource funding.

However the response to the flooding is a devolved responsibility and it will be up to the Scottish Government to decide how to spend the money.

Mr Yousaf visited Brechin in the immediate aftermath of the storm, and said there would be a “long road to recovery”.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are absolutely committed to helping where we can, within our limited powers, the people of Brechin and everyone in areas impacted by Storm Babet.

“We are working with local groups to establish exactly what is required.

“We have already provided £150 million, on top of our long-standing £42 million annual funding, for flood risk management, in addition to £12 million for coastal change adaptation over the course of this Parliament.

“We are pleased that the UK Government has met our request for greater financial flexibility.

“However, as the UK Government has made clear, this £60 million is not new money, but money that we have already allocated to other commitments.

“We will continue to work with the impacted communities to assess how the Scottish Government can best support recovery efforts.”

Angus Council said it is continuing to assess the full financial cost of Storm Babet, which it said will have consequences for a “significant time to come”.

More than 250 properties were damaged and more than 40 businesses are not able to operate as normal.

A council spokesman said: “Some have immediate concerns about their ability to continue and some have sustained significant damage that limits what they are able to do.

“While it remains an emerging picture, flooding has a continued and significant impact on our farmers.”