FIFE COUNCIL insist that there will be no reduction in their ability to deal with flooding – despite budget cuts of £165,000.

However, although they admitted that they would be more likely to react to a flooding incident as opposed to proactively put measures in place to deal with one, the council say that the Kingdom will remain "well prepared to deal with such storm incidents".

A report on the 2016-17 Enterprise and Environment Directorate budget, which saw savings of £13 million approved, said budget cuts had "limited the ability to provide a proactive approach to flooding" but had "instead increased the likelihood of financial spend on reactive measures to deal with the aftermath of a flood event, culminating in further increased maintenance requirements".

In its budget for 2016-17, the Labour administration had to fill a £38 million black hole and said that they expected to have to make savings of £91 million over the next three years.

Despite cutting the six-figure sum from the flood prevention budget, Derek Crowe, senior manager, said: "With around £13 million of savings approved from the E&E Directorate budget, many difficult decisions have to be made.

"In the case of the specific Flood Prevention budget, the budget is being reduced by around £165,000.

"The savings have been applied to a number of proposed flood study projects by consultants. However, arising from the new Flood Risk Management Local Plans, Fife Council now receives £371,000 capital resources from the Scottish Government to progress such flood study projects so proactive flood prevention works are actively being taken forward.

"There is no reduction in Fife’s readiness to deal with flooding incidents and Fife is well prepared to deal with such storm events."

In June, Fife Council promised families hit by Dunfermline's ill-fated flood prevention scheme that further measures to reduce the flooding risk would be in place by the autumn – paid for by the flood prevention revenue budget.

The scheme, delivered eight years late and £30 million over budget, appeared to fail its first test in November last year when Forth Street was submerged in fast-flowing water after a culvert in Pittencrieff Park was blocked.

That led to the collapse of a stone wall and railings at Milton Green/Lovers Loan, damaging two cars, and led to the council committing to a number of modifications that Pat Callaghan, executive spokesperson for environment and transportation, said would "help mitigate the potential for further flooding at this location."