A BARRHEAD man claims housing developers have put his home at risk of flooding...by disturbing underground springs.

George Millar, who has lived in Tinto Drive for 20 years, said he never had any problems until his garage mysteriously flooded last year.

His garden backs onto a footpath which was dug up by Miller Homes – and recently resurfaced – as part of a new housing development for Springhill Road.

The developers ripped up a large section of the path and land behind Mr Millar’s house in order to install drainage for dozens of new homes.

However, 71-year-old Mr Millar claims workmen have disturbed underground springs that can now be seen bubbling up from the footpath and flowing down a trench leading to a nearby burn.

He told the Barrhead News: “As soon as they started work with their bulldozers on the footpath behind my house, my garage was inches deep in water. I had to drill holes in the walls to drain it into my garden but that didn’t cure it.

“Miller Homes paid a visit but, because they couldn’t see any water flowing from the path into my garden, they said it was nothing to do with them.

“This area is called Springhill because of the springs. The water is running under the path, under the ground. If you look at the footpath they just resurfaced, where the Tarmac stops, from there to the bridge, you’ll see the water is bubbling up.

“It’s been coming out of the ground and flowing over the path for weeks and weeks.Workmen came last week and dug a trench to drain it but the water looks poisonous. It’s dirty brown, with an oily surface like petrol.”

Mr Millar said, more than a year since his garage first flooded, the problem is ongoing.
He added: “I can’t fight Miller Homes. I’m just one man and it is their word against mine but I was here for 20 years and never had any water damage.”

A spokesman for Miller Homes said it is closely monitoring work at the site and is not aware of any issues.

He added: “We visited Mr Millar after he contacted the council about flooding to his garage. We inspected the entire area and were satisfied the work we had undertaken would not have caused any water ingress to his property.”