WORK to tackle flooding in Inverclyde is taking too long says the leader of Inverclyde Council.

A key study into identifying troublesome hotspots is almost complete, along with work on the council's programme to tackle the issue.

Scottish Water have also poured resources in to tackle the problem, with protective work carried out at the Bullring and B&M store car parks to prevent the repeated washouts which have badly affected the Oak Mall shopping centre.

The A8 at East Hamilton Street is another area which has been the focus of the anti-flooding strategy but the overall pace of work is frustrating local authority leader Stephen McCabe.

He is unhappy that the council's programme to tackle flooding in central Greenock has taken so long to complete.

Councillor McCabe, speaking at a meeting of the environment and regeneration committee, said: "I am disappointed with the slow progress.

"I understand the issues there have been.

"But it's taken longer than we had thought."

The committee heard that trash screens have been installed to avoid blockages on watercourses such as West Station and Inverkip Road.

Other projects include a combined overland route and piped culvert downstream of the railway at Crescent Street, along with capacity improvements to the old Eastern Line of Falls.

Elsewhere, work has been carried out at Bouverie Burn and Devol Burn in Port Glasgow, with drainage improvements made on the town's Glasgow Road as well.

Committee convener Councillor Michael McCormick says he is pleased that work on the flooding study is almost finished.

He said: “The study will provide detailed information on how the water flows and floods through these hotspots, whether from overland, through sewers or in watercourses.

“This will allow us to come up with detailed proposals and solutions on how they might be improved to avoid flooding and reduce the disproportionately devastating impact it has on Inverclyde.”

Councillor McCormick said flooding takes time, and a united front, to solve.

He said: "A lot has been done to tackle the problem of flooding in Inverclyde already.

"It is a highly complex issue and requires everyone affected by flooding to work together."