Damage to Oban firms caused by the October flood will cost millions, the town’s business network estimates, as it urges others to get in touch with their losses, and asks the council questions about Oban’s flood defences.
“On Saturday October 7, 2023, Oban and the surrounding area experienced severe flooding issues resulting in roads being washed away, landslides, disruption, and serious flooding in the Lochavullin area of Oban,” BID4Oban’s chief executive Andrew Spence told councillors on Argyll and Bute Council’s Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee on December 13.
Mr Spence’s remarks came days before a second amber warning in Argyll this winter, when, again, a month’s rain again fell within 24 hours on December 17, but this time, luckily, without major incident.
“The deluge happened very quickly and numerous businesses were unable to take any precautions,” he said about the October 7 flood, almost exactly five years after the last. “The impact was catastrophic for many businesses in the area.”
Some businesses flooded over a metre, including serious pollutants such as raw sewerage and oil washed out of garages, Mr Spence added.
“The costs of the clean-up operation have been significant and financed by those businesses. Many premises in the Lochavuillin area are now unable to obtain flood insurance cover and they are unable to claim against their losses in any other way.”
Some businesses were unable to open effectively for a considerable period, he said. “Tesco lost its dot.com operation and suffered significant damage to is petrol station. M&S, Argos, Pets at Home were unable to trade for three days, and they suffered significant losses, including colleagues’ cars in the car park.
“This time Oban nearly lost all its supermarkets to flooding, and had the water level been about 20cm higher this would have occurred causing a serious social impact to the area. No supermarkets, no food!
“The owners of the businesses, staff and customers have all suffered, with some of the businesses community stating they will not be able to carry on if there is another flood. This has had an impact on mental health.
“We estimate that property and equipment damage will be in excess of £2 million,” Mr Spence said, urging any other local business hit by the flood to contact BID4Oban on 01631 569915 or info@bid4oban.co.uk.
“The council are the landlords for many of the flooded premises,” he said. “Similar flooding happened in 2017 and 2018. At that time, we were told the reason for the flooding was that pumps had failed. In 2023, the same pumps failed again.
“There has been flood impact surveys undertaken in Oban. The most recent being published in June 2019 – 33 pages, with various short-term and long-term options.
“To date the only visible change has been the introduction of plastic walls along a very short length of the Black Lyn adjacent to the Guide Hall.”
Mr Spence then asked the council: “What has the council done to mitigate flooding in Oban over the last five years? What did the council do to support the business community during the most recent flooding?
“What is the council’s long-term plans? What is the council’s contingency should we be flooded again and have no supermarkets? Has the council applied for flood prevention funding for Oban? When will the council engage positively with the businesses and produce some short-term plans and support to mitigate future events?”
The council did not respond by our deadline, but told the meeting it would provide answers at the next Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee, which take place every three months.