The Highland Council has confirmed that it has the full co-operation of land owners and regulatory bodies, such as SNH and SEPA, for the construction of the South West Channel Flood Prevention Scheme at Inverness.

However, the Council is unable to start work, as scheduled, because it requires to complete the procedures to obtain Controlled Activity Licences from SEPA to carry out works on the Holm Burn, such as dredging and the erection of bunding to protect properties.

Due to fish activity in the burn that feeds into the River Ness, the main works can only be carried out in the late summer and this window has now closed for this year. It is hoped that work can commence in the late summer of next year.

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Councillor John Laing, Chairman of the Council's Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee, said it was unfortunate that the blame for the delay had been laid at the door of an individual landowner, Donald MacDonald.

He said: "We have received the full co-operation of land owners. We have yet to secure the necessary Controlled Activity Licences to carry out work on the environmentally sensitive waters at the Holm Burn and the River Ness and this is what has prevented us from going ahead this year.

"Once the permissions are in place we are eager to commence work in the late summer of next year.

"In the meantime preparatory works, including the diversion of services and limited site clearance, will be undertaken this year in advance of the main works," he said.

The Inverness South West Flood Relief Channel will divert flood water from the south side of Inverness away from residential properties in Hilton, Lochardil, and Holm by collecting overflow water from the burns on the south side of Inverness and channelling it into the River Ness.

(GK/BMcC)