Aberdeenshire councillors have officially approved the preferred options for future flood protection schemes in Kemnay and Kintore. This decision by the Infrastructure Services Committee follows the conclusion of detailed flood studies for both areas and allows Aberdeenshire Council to seek Scottish Government funding via the national prioritisation process.

These proposals join existing flood studies awaiting government funding for Stonehaven Coastal, Stonehaven Farrochie Burn, Ballater, Inverurie, and Port Elphinstone.

In Kemnay, where approximately 260 residents and 130 properties remain at risk following significant events in 2016 and 2020, the estimated cost of inaction is £3 million in damages. The agreed plan, estimated at £1.88 million, includes the construction of an embankment at Kembhill Park to defend against the River Don and a sustainable drainage system (SUDS) basin at Milton Meadows to manage surface water. The Kembhill works are designed to provide protection against 1-in-200-year flood events.

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Kintore faces similar threats from the River Don as well as the Loch, Torry, and Tuach Burns. Currently, 370 residents are at risk, a figure expected to rise to 440 by the 2080s due to climate change. Councillors selected two primary solutions with a combined cost of approximately £1 million:

• An upstream storage area on the Sheriff Burn, south of the A96.

• Direct defences, such as flood walls, near Macallan Road on the Torry Burn.

Philip McKay, Head of the council's Roads and Infrastructure Services, said: "With preferred options for both communities now agreed, we can progress the proposals through the Scottish Government's funding prioritisation process. If successful, the programme would deliver long-term protection for homes, businesses, transport links and vital infrastructure, reducing disruption, lowering recovery costs and improving the wellbeing and security of residents."