The Scottish Government has awarded over £2million towards repairing storm damage in Aberdeenshire.

The financial boost will help the council deal with damage caused in the region by Storm Frank in December 2015 and January 2016.

The emergency funding is being provided through the Bellwin Scheme, a discretionary method which provides financial assistance to councils who face an undue financial burden as a result of large-scale emergencies.

In addition, the money is being awarded on top of £2m allocated to the council last year to ensure every household, business premises or charity directly affected by flood water received financial help. Over 1,000 households and businesses received £1,500 grant payments, and 145 businesses received grants of £3,000.

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Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: "There's no doubt that Aberdeenshire was among the areas hit the hardest by last year's flooding which is why this £2 million of funding will be welcome news to the council and communities affected by Storm Frank.

"This support through the Bellwin scheme will help Aberdeenshire Council meet some of the immediate and unforeseen costs of the flood damage.

"The Scottish Government is committed to working to reduce flood risk across Scotland and has committed £420 million over the next 10 years to protect homes in many of our most flood-prone areas.

"We also recently commissioned research into the long-term impacts of flooding on communities such as Ballater, which will identify what more can be done to help people recover from flooding in the future."

Council Co-Leader Richard Thomson said: "The effects of Storm Frank continue to be felt in Aberdeenshire more than a year after the event, with much work still to be done locally.

"To date, we've spent somewhere in the region of £12 million to help communities recover, from assisting families returning to their homes, to businesses re-opening their doors, and repairing the damage to our roads and bridges.

"The money we will receive through the Bellwin Scheme will certainly be a big help in recouping some of the costs that the council have incurred."

(LM/CD)