A new £86 million flood alleviation project has been unveiled in Moray.

The scheme will protect around 1,130 residential and business premises from flooding from the River Lossie in Elgin.

Features include the creation of a series of embankments and flood walls which allow floodwater from the River Lossie to pass safely through Elgin. In addition, the flood plain has been lowered in places and the project has also seen the construction of two new footbridges and a road bridge spanning the river at Pansport.

The Scottish Government provided 70% of funding towards the scheme.

To mark the occasion, an 8ft high marble slab was unveiled on the banks of the River Lossie today, 08 March.

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Speaking during the ceremony, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: "Flooding can have devastating consequences for communities, businesses and individuals. I am therefore delighted to be here today to open this new scheme which will provide lasting flooding protection for around 1130 homes and businesses in Elgin.

"The Scottish Government is committed to reducing flood risk across Scotland and will continue to make available £42million a year to fund important projects such as this to protect communities most at risk of flooding."

Cllr Allan Wright added: "The flood scheme represents the biggest single civil engineering project ever to have been completed in Moray and it has already gone part of the way in paying for itself.

"The completion of this project, as marked by today's ceremony, also represents the completion of an unprecedented programme of flood alleviation schemes implemented by Moray Council – and all funded to a very generous extent by the Scottish Government – which has seen not only Elgin spared the ravages of future flood events, but also Forres, Rothes and Lhanbryde, which have also had more than their share of flooding in recent years."

(LM)