A £53MILLION project to tame one of Scotland's most flood-prone rivers has won a top prize in a UK-wide competition.

At the 2012 Waterways Renaissance Awards awards in Birmingham last night, the White Cart Water Flood Prevention Scheme won first place in the Flood Risk Management category.

Described as "pioneering" by awards organisers The Waterways Trust, the White Cart project in Glasgow's South Side was completed last October and protects nearly 1750 homes and businesses from flooding.

Council bosses predict the project will save more than £100m in flood damage repairs. Just over a month after it was completed, the scheme proved its worth when it prevented mass flooding as a month's rain fell in just 24 hours.

The competition organisers said: "The completed scheme was the first in Scotland to seek a solution that was not constrained by local authority boundaries. It also sought to maximise the positive environmental outcomes rather than simply carrying out minimal mitigation."

In the Community category, the revitalisation of the Monkland Canal in Glasgow received a commendation.

The awards organisers praised the Monkland Canal Steering Group for breathing new life and purpose into the canal, making it a high quality community space.

A total of 29 river and canal projects were recognised at the event.

Other major winners include the Peace Bridge, constructed to unite two once divided communities in Derry, the Edinburgh Union Canal Strategy and the Granary Wharf in Leeds.

Roger Hanbury, chief executive of the Waterways Trust, said: "It is truly inspiring to see that, even in these very challenging economic times, people and organisations are continuing to work together to realise the benefits of our canals and rivers for communities across the UK."

stef.lach@ heraldandtimes.co.uk