Dumfries flood defence go-ahead – welcome or unwanted?

Dumfries and Galloway Council has agreed to take forward £68m flood protection plans for Dumfries, paving the way for work to begin next year.

The Whitesands area has suffered hundreds of flooding incidents since records began.

Despite the high cost, councillors voted in favour of progressing the plans for a raised walkway to both defend the area against flooding and make it more attractive for visitors.

It has been one of the most divisive issues in Dumfries for many years, so what did people in the town make of the decision?

Natascha Platt owns Natascha’s Make-up and Beauty on Bank Street in the town near the Whitesands.

She said her business already suffered when the Rood Fair arrives in town twice yearly, due to the parking restrictions in the area.

She had concerns that a lengthy construction period could be detrimental to her business.

“The two-and-a-half years of construction is definitely concerning as it is already quite a pain to get parked in town as it is and traffic can be quite bad already,” she said.

“But it is nice to hear that they are investing money into the town, albeit it is two-and-a-half years away.”

Taxi driver Stuart Brack said the Whitesands was one of his busiest locations for customer pick-ups and drop-offs.

“I am totally against it because at the end of day it doesn’t matter what you do, you are going to put the water somewhere, you are only going to put the problem elsewhere,” he said.

“Further down in the Dock Park, the houses are really going to suffer

“It could be a big loss for all of the taxi drivers that operate from the Whitesands, but we’ll just have to wait and see and hopefully it doesn’t happen – but I imagine it probably will.”

Dumfries resident Rachael Mason said the investment could make a real difference but she understood the concerns about it.

“I think the Whitesands is a lovely area and think it would be great to have more seating areas and more of a cafe culture,” she said.

“I can see why improvements need to get made.

“But I do think – with all the council proposed budget cuts at the minute – people might be a bit concerned about money being spent on this when there’s other things that are potentially being cut at the moment.”

Rab Smith owns a record shop on the Whitesands and would like to see some reassurances over the issue of compensation for businesses who say they will be affected by construction work from spring 2026.

”Most of the businesses down here get reductions in business rates because we’re all pretty small businesses,” he said.

“They did talk about compensation but I’ve had mixed opinions from council operatives.

“Some say we’ll look into it, we’ll try and get you something, others say no, there’s no way.

“So I don’t bear a lot of hope on that.”

Dumfries and Galloway Council has promised to work with everyone in the area throughout the scheme.

“This flood protection project will help keep homes and businesses safe from the next major flood and it also creates a better environment along the riverside for residents and visitors alike,” said convener Katie Hagmann.

“We will continue to engage with the community, partners, businesses, organisations and other stakeholders as the project progresses.”