The flooding forced hundreds of residents to flee, with 60 households rescued in Brechin alone, and many properties have stood empty and boarded up ever since.

Officials had presented councillors with several options, including a cheaper plan to demolish 139 homes without upgrading flood defences. Instead, councillors backed a motion from local representative Jill Scott for a costlier £8 million-plus scheme that pairs the demolition of 154 properties (150 homes and flats plus five garages) with improved flood protection, expected to total around £8.2m.

The upgrades include concrete walls and flood gates, glass panels atop the River Street flood wall, reinforced blocks at the East Mill Road caravan site, and a raised earth bund downstream of the caravan park. It was decided this was needed because the existing defences, completed in 2016 to withstand a one-in-200-year flood, now offer far less protection.

For the 29 privately owned homes affected, the council will first seek voluntary buyouts at market value with statutory compensation and moving costs, turning to compulsory purchase orders if agreement can’t be reached. Cleared land will become public open space.

Councillors acknowledged the human toll of the decision. Brechin councillor Chris Beattie argued the cheaper, no-upgrade option would have sent a damaging message to affected residents, while colleague Gavin Nicol called the scale of demolition and compulsory purchases devastating for those still hoping to rebuild, urging the council to pair the decision with compassion and fair compensation.