Campaigners have criticised a flood assessment submitted with the latest planning application for a controversial 3G pitch in Girvan.
South Ayrshire Council withdrew the previous application, which had been sited at the edge of Victory Park Road at the west end of the park.
The council would not reveal why it pulled the application in December, but campaigners said they had been told by an official involved in the proposal that the flooding and drainage issues had led to the new submission.
The new plan sees the pitch relocated to an area currently home to play park equipment. This site was previously assessed and dismissed and also has regular issues with drainage.
Consultants Enviro Centre acknowledge that there is a high risk of 'overtopping' of waterways at Victory Park, but considers other aspects, such as rainfall, a low flood risk.
But the campaigners pointed to a claim in the assessment that states there have only been three flooding events since 1998.
They said that there has been flooding every year involving 'both the park and the surrounding roads'.
It was also pointed out that the on-site assessment was carried out in July 2018 in what was described as 'dry and bright' conditions.
The campaigners continued: "The Flood Risk Assessment has been done without any knowledge of the fact that there is just one destination for all of the floodwater-namely, Mill Burn.
"Once Mill Burn is at capacity it's game over for residents as none of the drains can carry water away from the park and surrounding streets.
"The report seems to focus solely on the possibility of the burn 'overtopping' its left bank instead of not being able to take the flood water from the drainage system."
The assessment also suggests that flooding caused by rain was a low risk.
They countered: "Victory Park floods badly, with water flowing from the grass, flooding local footpaths/streets overwhelming the drainage system."
The suggestion that creating a 'suitable and efficient drainage network' during the installation of the pitch was also questioned on the basis that the however good the drainage is at the park, the outflow would always be reliant on the Mill Burn.
They explained that when the amount of water running off the park exceeds the capacity of the small burn, the excess backs up the drainage pipes and back up to the roads and Victory Park itself.
This was acknowledged by the council's own roads service, the Ayrshire Roads Alliance.
The recommendations to deal with this, according to the application, include:
- Ensuring that proper evacuation procedures are in place in the event of a flood.
- Existing ground levels are to be maintained, to ensure that no existing functional flood plain storage is compromised.
- Ensure that a suitable and efficient drainage network for the pitch area is
implemented and maintained.
The application is open to comments on the South Ayrshire Council online planning portal.
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