<h2>Hi</h2>

£10 million boost for flood defences in Wales

14 May 2013 10:58 AM
Natural Resources Minister, Alun Davies, has set out which communities across Wales will be protected by an additional £10 million investment in flood and coastal defences.

This extra funding takes the total investment in flood risk management to more than £160 million over the life of this assembly.   

The Minister provided detail on additional funding announced last week as part of the Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan.

The plan details how the Welsh Government will support around 1,400 jobs and boost economic growth with an additional £76.5m funding package for housing, schools and transport, as well as flood protection.

The additional £10 million will help fund Flood and Coastal Risk management schemes across Wales. This includes:

  • £5 million to help protect over 215 homes and businesses in the Colwyn Bay community, as well as the A55 and North Wales mainline railway. The extra funding will also boost tourism in the area through improvements to the beach.
  • £2 million to extend work on the proposed flood risk management scheme for Mold that will reduce the risk of flooding for over 90 properties.
  • £1 million for a further phase of work to reduce the risk of coastal erosion and flooding in Borth to protect over 330 homes and businesses, the Cambrian coast railway and the Borth bog environmental site.
  • £2 million to support Natural Resources Wales’ work to improve existing flood and coastal defence infrastructure across Wales, including projects in Pendine, Llanfair Talhairn, Pontblydden, Ystrad Mynach, Severn Estuary, Ferryside, Bridgend and Talsarnau. The funding will also help to progress the development of defence improvements to the Severn Estuary, Crindau in Newport and the River Rhymney in Cardiff.

The Minister said:

"This funding follows one of the wettest years on record which seriously affected hundreds of homes and businesses in mid and north Wales.

"The Welsh Government is committed to managing the risk of flooding across Wales. We can never fully prevent all flooding, but we can manage the risks and reduce the consequences. That is why we are investing over £160 million in flood and coastal erosion risk management over the life of this Assembly to reduce the risk of flooding for over 7,000 properties.

"As well as delivering protection from flooding and coastal erosion for some of our most vulnerable communities, this additional funding will also help to create and secure local jobs."

Finance Minister Jane Hutt added:

"Despite the severe reductions the UK Government have made to our capital budgets, we are determined to do all we can to invest in our infrastructure – because we know this is vital to support economic growth and create jobs.

"This extra investment in our flood defences will make a real difference to protecting communities right across Wales.