The Minister for Environment, Hannah Blythyn, announced yesterday a £56 million program to improve flood and coastal erosion defenses and support flood risk management activities across Wales over the next financial year.
The program has been prioritized according to risk, considering factors such as the likelihood and impact of a flood, previous events, the number of properties to benefit and the wider benefits of the scheme.
For the construction phase alone, the schemes planned for 2018–19 are expected to benefit over 6,500 properties.
“ Local authorities and Natural Resources Wales will receive funding to deliver flood risk management schemes to protect people, properties and businesses ,” said Minister Blythyn . “ Many of the schemes will also deliver wider benefits including habitat improvements, recreational benefits and reducing risk to infrastructure.”
“ We are investing in new schemes and major maintenance right across Wales. I have also protected NRW’s budget for flood risk management activities next financial year, as well as funding a new Wales Coastal Monitoring Centre which will improve our understanding of coastal processes and inform better decision making ,” added the minister.
The funding will be used to complete the construction of new and existing projects, as well as scoping and designing future schemes. The new program was developed in collaboration with representatives from Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Welsh Local Government Association, local authorities, Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
Among the major new schemes to begin are:
The Welsh Government also announced last week plans for a new Wales Coastal Monitoring Centre, to inform decisions on coastal adaptation and potential schemes on a national basis.
Over the life of this Assembly term, the Welsh Government plans to allocate £151 million of capital investment for NRW and local authorities’ flood risk activities.