Contractor asked for flooding assurances over new-build Tain school campus amid concerns from residents as Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) monitors situation

THE contractor behind a multimillion-pound new school build in Easter Ross is being asked for assurances over potential flooding issues affecting neighbouring residents.

And the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed it is aware of the issues and is monitoring the situation.

The new 3-18 campus at Tain is set to replace a number of school buildings deemed no longer fit for purpose and to provide state of the art facilities for the town and its catchment area.

It is being built on a site at Craighill in Tain.

A community Facebook page has flagged a number of concerns.

Alison Taylor, who lives nearby on Provost Ferguson Drive, posted: "So happy that the long awaited new Tain Royal Academy had passed the planning stage. Kier Construction was awarded the project.

"Unfortunately the site spring and field drains were bulldozed in October resulting in flooding. I spoke to the site manager to advise him drains had been installed in the 1980s due to this being an issue back then.

"I realised shortly after that near neighbours were having problems with muddy flood water running through gardens and down the road.What had been a damp ditch is now a constant muddy torrent with silt and rubbish entering the town drains.

"I'm hoping that they install efficient drainage otherwise the new school will be flooded at the first sign of heavy rain."

She posted film footage and stated: "Kier needs to let locals know how and when this flooding will be dealt with."

Another resident said: "Tain's always been a wet place – Craighill and Tain Academy both had muddy grounds – and it doesn't seem like the proper amount of attention was given to that fact with the planning of the new building. The drainage used to follow a different route, now it's going through people's gardens and under the foundations of their homes so it needs sorted out."

RELATED: Progress on school amid concerns over spiralling construction costs

Tree-planting marks milestone for Tain 3-18 campus project

Tain campus up for planning go-ahead after lengthy delays

Others have shared footage on community Facebook pages.

A Kier spokesperson told the Ross-shire Journal: "A resident raised concerns over water entering their garden, which we proactively investigated. We found the source of the issue was an old field drain, which has since been capped off.

“As a responsible contractor, we are delivering Tain Academy in line with regulations and all works have been carefully planned, with approval provided by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency where needed. We hold regular resident engagement events and our site team are on hand to answer any questions from local residents.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said: “In November 2022, we received reports of silt entering a surface water drain on the boundary of the school construction site. SEPA officers visited the site and required improvements to contain the silt. This resulted in the construction company enlarging their settlement pond, as well as installing fencing and a silt settlement tank.

“We will continue to monitor the site to ensure appropriate silt mitigation. Anyone who spots signs of pollution is urged to contact SEPA as soon as possible via the pollution hotline 0800 80 70 60 or online at www.sepa.org.uk/report.”

Tain and Easter Ross councillor Alasdair Rhind said he is aware of concerns and has called for a meeting between Highland Council and Kier to resolve issues and ensure there are plans for a long-term solution.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.