Stonehaven "at risk from floods for next 4 years" FURIOUS residents of the Aberdeenshire town of Stonehaven - devastated by two floods since November 2009 - have been warned they will have to live with the threat of further damage to their homes for at least four years before an effective protection scheme can be put in place. Stonehaven residents warned they risk four more years of flooding Locals demand immediate action as calls grow for resignation of council chief executive Colin Mackenzie, the chief executive of Aberdeenshire Council, faced a call to resign at a stormy public meeting in the town on Tuesday night at which the timescale for the construction of a flood alleviation scheme was revealed. And today Greig Walker, the spokesman for the Stonehaven Community Flood Action Group, said the residents of the town were not prepared to wait another four years. And they were demanding immediate action by the council to counter the threat of further flooding. He declared: "Every time there is heavy rain nobody sleeps. We are totally dissatisfied with the lack of action by the council and we want something to be put in place tomorrow to protect our homes - not in four years" time." Mr Walker said the action group was demanding at least the installation of a system of new storm drains and a system of emergency pumps to counter the fllooding threat in the harbour area of the town, At least 40 homes and businesses were flooded two days before Christmas after the River Carron burst its banks and flooded roads around the High Street area of Stonehaven for the second time in three years. Mr Walker said: "We are not prepared to wait another four years. We want something to be put in place to protect our homes in the immediate future because it (the flooding) is going to happen again. John Briggs, whose carpet shop in the town's Bridgefield was flooded for a second time, called for the resignation of the chief executive at the public meeting attended by almost 500 townspeople. And today he backed the call for immediate action to protect the town from further flooding. He said: "We can't wait four years. We can't even wait for months. Why don't they spend money helping people to defend their own homes - the specific houses and buildings that are in danger of flooding. That would give people confidence to move back into their properties. People are frightened to move back into their houses because they are worried that come March, when we have an equinoxal storm, that this is going to happen again. He continued: "People can't see anything happening. Even if something was being done in a small way it would help reassure people. Being flooded for the first time was bad enough but people have been traumatised after being flooded for a second time. That meeting was about controlling the situation and protecting the council's position rather than helping people.We need to see something happening on the ground. Mr Mackenzie had earlier confirmed that the council was working on a timescale of "between two and four years" for a flood alleviation scheme to be put in place. He said: "It would be irresponsible of me to say that we could do it any quicker than that. We will do it as quickly as we can but that is the realistic timescale - two to four years. I do understand that it is difficult for people which is why we will work with the flood action group to see how we can help to build community resilience. Mr Mackenzie also announced that the council was committed to appointing a lead officer to take responsibility for the implementation of a flood alleviation scheme "as soon as we can." He added: "We are listening and we will respond. We will take account of everything we have heard.