UK: The 3rd of April marked a small but significant step forward for Tillicoultry’s RAAC-affected homeowners as Clackmannanshire Council’s Petitions Committee responded to the voices of over 250 residents by agreeing to recommend a feasibility study into the current and potential future value of RAAC homes This comes after months of stress and uncertainty for families evacuated from their properties on Chappelle Crescent due to the discovery of dangerous Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in our buildings I was honoured to speak on behalf of the Tillicoultry RAAC Campaign Group We presented a clear and heartfelt case calling for: Financial redress based on pre-RAAC property values A push for national financial support for affected homeowners A public inquiry into the management and oversight failures that led us here Long-term support from both Scottish and UK Governments I made it clear to the committee that local authorities must accept some accountability nor did they choose the materials used—yet they are paying the highest price “We have an opportunity today to help homeowners avoid total financial ruin,” I said “We urge this council to stand with us and take meaningful steps toward justice.” While councillors argued that pre-RAAC valuations were no longer viable—citing the changed circumstances of the buildings—they did agree to pursue a feasibility study This will assess the current value of the properties and what they could be worth if the RAAC was removed or remediated It will only proceed with the consent of homeowners and will involve a joint survey of the three affected blocks Councillor Helen Forson stated that a proper decision could not be reached without more concrete data Her proposal for the valuation study was accepted That the council explore all avenues within its power to support affected residents That the council lobby the Scottish and UK governments for a national RAAC financial support scheme Both of these points directly reflected the requests I made during the delivery of our petition the committee did not endorse our call for a public inquiry at this stage reasoning that it would be premature while the council has yet to finalise its course of action for RAAC-affected homes when I challenged this position—highlighting the urgent need for transparency and accountability—there was a noticeable shift in tone Although initial councillor comments implied a reluctance to implicate the council in any inquiry the door was left open for reconsideration in the future Some councillors did take the time to express empathy One stated she had met with homeowners and acknowledged the devastating circumstances we face—something that This campaign is not over until homeowners get the justice residents gathered in peaceful protest outside Kilncraigs united in our message: we will not be ignored The demonstration was a powerful reminder that behind every data point and policy decision are real families—displaced The strength and visibility of our protest made a real difference It reinforced the urgency of our case and ensured that councillors could not overlook the depth of community frustration and resilience Combined with the powerful delivery of our petition it helped secure three key recommendations—each a step forward in our fight for a just outcome We remain committed to pushing for a full inquiry and we will not stop until homeowners get the justice they deserve Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Growth and Building Safety Pakistan: The British Asian Christian Association (BACA) has stood beside Shabir Masih through unimaginable tragedy South Africa: American missionary Josh Sullivan who was abducted at gunpoint during a church service in Gqeberha last week nazirbhattipcc@aol.com , pakistanchristianpost@yahoo.com Are you looking for a career change with excellent development opportunities Tillicoultry Quarries is a successful and fast-growing family-owned quarrying company and major supplier of aggregates render and sports sand to the building and road construction industry We now operate in over 31 sites throughout Central Scotland As a family business who have been in operation for over 90 years we invest in our people and offer excellent training and career development opportunities you will manage all day-to-day operations in accordance with the QR1999 to ensure the safe efficient and effective management of operations at the Quarry We will provide you with an opportunity to build a long-term career by welcoming you into our family and investing in your future www.TQ-jobs.com recruitment@tillicoultryquarries.com jobs events and articles direct to your inbox Subscribe Here Agg-Net is the ‘go-to’ website for key decision makers within the aggregates and recycling industries market reports and industry features provide an independent and informed voice for the industry Agg-Net is the official digital partner for Hillhead providing unrivalled coverage of our June event 7 Regent StreetNottinghamNG1 5BSUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0)115 941 1315 Examples of diverse initiatives around Scotland that are in some way contributing to our flood resilience Image provided by Alva Community Resilience Team The communities along the Hillfoots in Clackmannanshire sit at the foot of the Ochil Hills Several tributaries of the River Devon flow through these villages and towns with each community facing their own unique challenges therefore local knowledge was key to response planning The Alva Community Resilience team was set up in early 2020 replicating other established groups in the area such groups in Menstrie and Tillicoultry Coalsnaughton and Devonside (TIDECO) communities to prepare for and adapt to the threat of flooding To allow the group to respond quickly to any incidents the Council has placed a number of flood pods at strategic points around the town The contents of each pod vary due to the location but typically might include water activated flood snakes or sandbags and tool which are replenished by Clackmannanshire Council As the Alva Burn can be a particular area of concern, a monitoring system called RiverTrack was installed. This consists of a monitoring sensor that records the level of the Alva Burn and updates every 15 minutes on the level of the burn the Council purchased two flexible flood barriers These can be rolled up and stored in a nearby flood pod and when required rolled out to form barriers As these barriers would need to be placed across a road permission was negotiated by the Council with Police Scotland that in the event that these barriers need deployed and the police are informed by a phone call Weather forecasting from various sources are also monitored by the group to identify any potential issues, including Flood Alerts and the Scottish Flood Forecast issued by SEPA The group also assists by removing debris which can caused blockages in watercourses and reporting any blocked road gullies Whilst public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for community activities it can provide a safety net and reassurance for community groups to move forward with their activities Information about insurance is accessible and may already be provided by Community Councils or under each individuals’ household or motor cover the River Devon burst its banks and quickly flooded 17 homes and a commercial property in Tillicoultry losing their homes and community in a matter of minutes and being relocated to temporary accommodation for up to 9 months until their homes were dried out and reinstated Tillicoultry residents formed a Flood Group and worked closely with Clackmannanshire Council and the Scottish Flood Forum to identify flood risks and to identify actions to improve their flood resilience Image provided by Tillicoultry Flood Group secured public funding for demountable flood protection measures A significant amount of work has taken place on agreeing how when and where partners work together and focus efforts where they were most needed Response planning was based on experience and trial and error where the approach was refined after actual storm events a walkway that separates homes from the river was raised by almost two metres and three years later a pumping station was installed to help manage surface water In 2017 the Tillicoultry Flood Group became part of a network of flood groups along the Hillfoots area of Clackmannanshire The group worked in partnership with Scottish Fire and Rescue and others to produce a Flood Plan for the area that sets out how volunteers would work alongside other agencies to respond to flooding events This plan was shared with the other Hillfoots groups to provide the basis of their response planning and adapted to suit local conditions The group meets with frontline partners after each flood event to debrief and identify potential improvements which could be employed during any future events flood groups across the Hillfoots area (Menstrie Dollar and Muckhart) meet monthly to discuss good practice Kirkmahoe Community Council set up a system to deal with emergencies The area of Kirkmahoe has been divided into 8 neighbourhoods with co-ordinators contacting volunteers when required to assist during emergencies River levels are monitored by the group and warnings are posted via social media Dumfries and Galloway Council are also informed of flooding by the Community Council and as a precaution activate remote flood warning signs at Carnsalloch and at Lakeview to warn drivers of road closures due to floods Image provided by Dumfries and Galloway Council towns and villages along the River Nith Cathment experienced the worst flooding to date recorded Flooding at Kirkton cut the area off from the rest of Dumfries and Galloway From the time the Nith broke its banks upstream at Dalswinton and started flooding Kirkton residents at Barrasgate had approximately 15 minutes warning to reach safety 19 houses in Kirkton were badly damaged by the floods and many other premises had gardens and outbuildings destroyed by the flood The residents of Kirkton worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of their neighbours Local tractor drivers assisted in transporting people from their flooded homes to the village hall arranged for skips and liaised with the Roads Department to assist in getting roads reopened The Council provided industrial dehumidifiers to assist with drying homes Funding was sourced for the worse affected residents with a small cash donation for immediate needs it took several months to get houses in a habitable state residents were offered support by the Scottish Flood Forum Some social housing in Barrasgate is still uninhabitable and there is ongoing discussion on future plans for these houses along with partners ran an event to discuss future flood resilience This led to the formation of a community resilience group which was tasked with identifying actions to make their community more resilient to flooding A WhatsApp group was set up to improve the response time and communication Funding was awarded to provide equipment to support the community during an event Practical items such as heaters and cookers are also made available to all residents Public participation in scientific research is being promoted through the creation a network of photographic monitoring points along the Moray coastline These points will allow the community to upload photographs of coastal change from the same viewpoint and upload them to the CoastalSnap App This information will be used to inform Moray Council's Coastal Adaptation Plans and monitor change Communities are being encouraged to engage in the Monitoring Moray’s Coastline project and improve their own knowledge and understanding of how storm events are impacting on the coastline It is anticipated the project will help raise awareness through public participation in data collection and monitoring The project will allow active monitoring of the indicative rate of change of the coastline based on recording information from the same point Using photographs will assist in predicting of the rate of change at a given point along the coastline Further details can be found at the Dynamic Coast website An area of underused greenspace in Cardonald Glasgow has been transformed into a vibrant community park open space for residents - enhanced through an award-winning landscape design complemented by sustainable drainage measures that reduce flood risk The project was a partnership between Southside Housing Association and Glasgow City Council Other funders of the £2.6 million project include the Cardonald Area Partnership (through Glasgow City Council) the Place Fund (from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Unit) The attractive new space also boasts dedicated toddler and children's play spaces with climbing frames and slides as well as a bicycle pump track and cycle storage facilities to encourage active travel Sustainable drainage measures that mimic nature by slowing down water such as raingardens have also been introduced on site to reduce flood risk and increase downstream drainage capacity to support regeneration Extensive community engagement has meant that an enhanced open space has been created Access to good quality green space was identified as being of vital importance for those living in the high-rise accommodation carried out by Research Resource on behalf of Southside Housing Association found that 90% of those surveyed now say their neighbourhood is either a ‘very good’ or ‘good place to live’ - up from 68% before the park was constructed The project has also delivered health benefits respondents use of greenspace at Queensland Court and Gardens has increased from 35% to 64% - with 30% now saying they go outdoors in their local area for fresh air 4-7 times a week Further details can be found at the Glasgow City Council website Email: Flooding_Mailbox@gov.scot All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 except for graphic assets and where otherwise stated Watch Commander at Tillicoultry Community Fire Station Colin has worked his way up to his current rank of Watch Commander after following in the footsteps of his dad who was one of the founding crew members of Tillicoultry Community Fire Station in 1967 The 58-year-old dad of two has been responding to on call emergencies for the last four decades providing an emergency response to his local area and support to staff throughout Prior to taking on the on call Support Watch Commander position six years ago Watch Commander Hutcheson ran his own car body repair business He was delighted to accept the promotion from being an on call Firefighter allowing him to use his years of experience to further support stations and management teams throughout Clackmannanshire At a recent presentation to celebrate the milestone family and colleagues were there to see him receive gifts to celebrate the occasion said: “I've absolutely no idea where the past forty years have gone “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has evolved and improved to be almost unrecognisable from when I joined as an 18-year-old but the core ethos of helping people in need still remains the same “I thoroughly enjoy my role and the challenges it brings Many thanks must go to all my colleagues past and present who have made my time so enjoyable and also to my family who support and enable me to fulfil this role.” Station Commander Russell Hammell said: “When reflecting on the last 40 years it’s amazing the changes that have happened in the world providing care and support to his community when most needed