That's the claim from two north east Fife councillors, who have issued an appeal to the Scottish Government to take into account the potential for future flooding when they consider the Fife Structure Plan.

Included in the document is a proposal to build 1200 houses to the north of Cupar — but local councillor Margaret Kennedy and Howe of Fife councillor Andrew Arbuckle, chair of north east Fife area committee, have raised concerns that if the project is given the go-ahead it could lead to major flooding problems for residents of low lying areas.

Councillor Kennedy said: "I visited the flooded houses and there is already a real problem with the ability of the Lady Burn to take all the water.

"Anyone who looks at the geography of the area will see that any development to the north of Cupar will add massively to the potential for flooding in the town.

"Wherever you build houses, you add to the flooding problem.

"The same amount of rain falls. But it does not fall on farmland where it can take a long time to seep down through the soil to the drains.

"It falls on tarmac and on concrete and it is immediately channelled into drains.

"We seem to be in a time when flash flooding occurs.

"That is where the problem lies with laying down additional acres of concrete and tarmac.

"And that is where I believe we would be creating a major future flooding problem for Cupar."

Meanwhile, residents in Freuchie, of one of the areas worst affected, have been taking a 'hands on' approach in an effort to help prevent a repeat of the devastation they suffered in August.

Heavy rainfall last week prompted so much anxiety among the householders from Freuchie Mill, which bore the brunt of the floods, that two of them donned waders at the weekend to clear the nearby culvert.

A post-flood analysis suggested that insufficient maintenance of the culvert was partly to blame for the events of August 13, when floodwater quickly engulfed the cul de sac after a night of heavy rainfall.

Fife Council has pledged to take over responsibility for cleaning the culvert, but their plans had to be put on hold while red tape surrounding land ownership and access rights was sorted out.