Flood alleviation scheme worth £700,000 completed in Gwynedd

Work has been completed on a major flood alleviation scheme in Felinheli, which will protect 40 properties in the village.

The £700,000 improvements, which included the construction of a new sea wall, for the Beach Road area of the village was jointly funded by Gwynedd Council and the Welsh Government.

Councillor Catrin Wager, Gwynedd Council cabinet member, said: “It’s great to see that work on the flood alleviation scheme in Felinheli has been completed.

“I would like to say a big thank you to the local contractors, OBR Construction company for their work and to everyone else who was involved in this important scheme.

“This scheme protects 36 homes and 4 private businesses on Beach Road in Felinheli and the wall is designed to protect against 1 in 200 year floods.

“Climate change and sea level rise have been considered over the coming years.

“Climate change is having more and more of an effect on our communities, we’re seeing more extreme weather events and evidence suggests that sea levels are rising.

“As a council, we are trying to prioritise projects in order to keep our residents and communities safe.”

Councillor Gareth Griffith, cabinet member for the environment and who also represents Felinheli on Gwynedd Council, said: “I would like to thank Gwynedd Council and the Welsh Government for their Investment towards the cost of the flood defence scheme here in Felinheli, which will keep the Beach Road area safe for a long time.

“I would like to thank everyone for their hard work, and the local community for their patience whilst the work was going on.

“A local flood wardens group, which includes 25 volunteers from the village, has been set up to help with the closure of flood gates.”

An englyn (verse) by Osian Owen, local poet, has been engraved on the new wall and is complimented by drawings made by pupils from Ysgol y Felinheli and the Artist Eleri Jones.