Comrie Flood Protection Scheme - Current progress and timeline

Latest updates

Site set up

Balfour Beatty have set up their compound for the initial site clearance phase at the Field of Refuge car park. The compound includes double stacked site cabins at present, but this will be reduced to a single storey set up once the compound for the main works is established and in use from February 2025. The Field of Refuge compound will remain in place for the two year construction period. This extended closure is unavoidable as the area forms part of Balfour Beatty's working space when constructing the flood defences around the car park. 

We recognise that this is a well-used parking area and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. 

Site clearance work - Tree removal works

Works commenced on 18 November 2024 to clear away trees and other vegetation from the working areas. Balfour Beatty have appointed MW Groundworks to undertake this work.  View the tree works outline plan (PDF, 126 KB). 

We recognise the impact that this can have, but unfortunately, this is an unavoidable consequence of constructing the important flood defences in Comrie. 

The design of the scheme has tried to minimise the number of trees being removed, and we will continue to work with the contractor to retain as many trees as is practical to do so.  Some of the trees that will be removed are close to the end of their natural lifespan and so would likely have been subject to future removal. 

As part of the scheme, we will replant three trees for every one tree that is felled. This will form part of the wider landscaping and re-instatement work after the defences are constructed. It will not always be possible to replant trees close to where they have been felled, due to the new flood defences, but we have identified areas within the wider Comrie area which can accommodate, and benefit, from the compensatory planting. 

Road closures

The Flood Protection works will have an impact on the road network. The latest road closures (active or proposed) are shown below: 

Path Closures and Diversions

The Flood Protection works will have an impact on the path network in Comrie. The affected routes are stated below, and can be viewed in the following document below: 

Core Path Diversions (PDF, 566 KB)

Construction photographs and drone surveys

Monthly drone surveys will be flown throughout the construction phase to record and display progress of the project.  The latest surveys can be viewed below.  

Project timeline

Projects of the scale and complexity of the Comrie flood protection scheme will encounter challenges that can slow down progress. The project has experienced some delays for various reasons, and we would like to thank the community for their ongoing patience. 

However, the project has now reached a significant milestone with the commencement of the main construction works contract, which was awarded to Balfour Beatty in August 2024. 

View the current timeline (PDF, 203 KB). This will be updated to provide more detail once we move towards the main construction works in 2025. 

Community liaison

The Council is continuing to liaise with residents and landowners directly affected by the flood scheme works. We will continue to meet with affected residents and discuss any questions they may have.  

Balfour Beatty have appointed Ben Ferguson as their Public Liaison Officer for the project. Ben will be in touch with all residents who will have a direct interface with the project, between now and the end of the year well in advance of works taking place at or adjacent to their properties / locations.  

If you have any queries about the construction of the project, you can speak to the Balfour Beatty team on site or by contacting Ben on 07732 079276 or by emailing ComrieAdmin@balfourbeatty.com . 

Community drop-in sessions

A further community drop in session will be held on Thursday 6 February 2025 at the White Church. This will be in advance of the main flood defence construction activities commencing and allow Balfour Beatty to provide more information on the construction techniques and any impacts that are to be managed.  We will send out further information on this event in due course. 

The most recent community drop in session was held on Thursday 26 September 2024 at the White Church (2-7pm in the Ruchill Hall).  This was well attended and enabled the community to meet representatives from the Council's project team and the Contractor, and to discuss the scheme and any queries they may have. 

The Council previously hosted drop-in sessions at the White Church, Comrie on 23 and 28 June 2022.   

The exhibition materials from these events are available to view on the scheme documents page.  

The Council will continue to keep the community informed of progress.  We will issue community newsletters regularly throughout the construction phase to keep the community updated, with the next one scheduled for February 2025.  Please find a link to the most recent community newsletter below: 

Current newsletter

• Comrie flood newsletter 11 - December 2024 (PDF, 652 KB)

Previous newsletters

• Comrie flood newsletter 10 - September 2024 (PDF, 278 KB)
• Comrie flood newsletter 9 - May 2023 (PDF, 435 KB)
• Comrie flood newsletter 8 - April 2022 (PDF, 292 KB)
• Comrie flood newsletter 7 - September 2021 (PDF, 387 KB)
• Comrie flood newsletter 6 - February 2020 (PDF, 267 KB)
• Comrie flood newsletter 5 - November 2019 (PDF, 715 KB)
• Comrie flood newsletter 4 - April 2019 (PDF, 308 KB)
• Comrie flood newsletter 3 - January 2019 (PDF, 523 KB)
• Comrie flood newsletter 2 - June 2018 (PDF, 310 KB)
• Comrie flood newsletter 1 (PDF, 1 MB)

Contact details

If you have any queries relating to the Comrie Flood Protection Scheme please contact Ross Fletcher, Project Manager, or Gavin Bissett, Engineer (Flooding), on 01738 476840 or at ComrieFloodScheme@pkc.gov.uk. 

Correspondence can also be addressed to the Flooding Team, Environment and Infrastructure, Perth and Kinross Council, Pullar House, 35 Kinnoull Street, Perth, PH1 5GD.