Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham, officially opened Selkirk’s new flood protection scheme yesterday.
The scheme provides protection to around 600 homes and businesses from major flood events, with the Scottish Government providing 80 per cent of the funding for the project.
A total of two kilometers of flood defenses have been created between the Ettrick Water and the Riverside recreational and industrial areas, while a 90 meter footbridge was installed which is designed to remain open even during major flood events.
More than 150 people worked on the scheme at its peak, with around half being Borders residents. Main contractor RJ McLeod estimates that business worth £6m was generated for the local economy during construction.
The Selkirk Flood Protection Scheme officially started in 2009, with six years of design and planning culminating in a successful bid for funding to the Scottish Government in March 2014.
Construction began in January 2015, with the scheme completed in less than two years.
The completion of the £31.4 million project was marked by the burial of a time capsule containing items such as a signed school jumper and newspaper clippings.
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