Almost 40 homes and businesses in Peebles which were badly affected by flooding during Storm Frank have received additional protection thanks to a scheme facilitated by Scottish Borders Council (SBC) and funded through the Scottish Government.

Properties in the Tweed Green, Tweed Avenue and Walkershaugh area of the town were damaged by Storm Frank in December 2015, with a number of residents forced to leave their homes for up to six months.

As a result, the Scottish Government provided £2.4m to SBC to deal with the aftermath of the winter floods of 2015/16, which affected numerous communities across the Borders.

From this funding, the council created the Peebles Property Level Protection Scheme (PLVP) which has now resulted in 37 homes affected by Storm Frank receiving flood doors or barriers, self-closing airbricks, sump pumps and non-return values.

The £280,000 scheme means these properties now have increased resilience to future flooding.

The scheme is an interim measure, with the council currently undertaking a flood study for Peebles, Innerleithen and Broughton as detailed in the Tweed Local Flood Risk Management Plan (LFRMP) 2016-2022.

The study will assess the flood risk and develop options to manage flooding in each community.

It is hoped that the outputs from this study will allow for appropriate actions to be taken forward into the next Tweed LFRMP 2022–2028, with a view to reducing flood risk in each area in the longer term.

Councillor Gordon Edgar, SBC’s executive member for roads and infrastructure, said: “Storm Frank was a traumatic experience for many residents in the Tweed Green, Tweed Avenue and Walkershaugh area of Peebles, with the flooding some of the worst ever seen in the town.

“Huge damage was caused but the Property Level Protection Scheme will increase the resilience of these properties allowing them to recover more quickly from future flood events.

“A resilient communities group was recently formed in Peebles and we have provided similar equipment to the group’s volunteers so if a flooding emergency occurs again, the community can work together and help each other out.

“In addition, the council currently offers subsidised flood protection products to help homeowners across the Borders to protect their properties.”

Cabinet secretary for the environment, climate change and land reform, Roseanna Cunningham, said: “Storm Frank caused devastation across the country so I am pleased that Scottish Government funding will help properties in the Borders recover from the impact of these floods and make them better prepared for the future.

“The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to reduce flood risk across Scotland and has committed £420 million over the next 10 years to protect communities and businesses in many of our most flood-prone areas. We are also providing £140,000 a year to the Scottish Flood Forum which works directly with communities and individuals at risk of flooding to raise awareness and help them take action to protect their property.

“I would urge people to prepare for flooding and sign up to SEPA’s Floodline service to get the latest flood information direct to their mobile phone.”