Major £1m flood alleviation project gets underway in village near Caernarfon
Work on a major £1 million flood alleviation project has got underway at the village of Rhostryfan near Caernarfon.
Gwynedd Council has developed the scheme which is funded jointly with the Welsh Government following incidents of flooding which effected properties in the village in November 2012.
High volumes of water within the Afon Wyled following a period of heavy rainfall brought significant amount of debris down the river in 2012, which ultimately blocked the debris screen. The water then overtopped the river walls and flooded the nearby properties and the highway.
As part of the flood alleviation project, contractors will install a new single box culvert in place of the current twin culvert and debris screen located at the square in the village. The new single box culvert will have greater capacity and will not require a debris screen.
The project will also see the replacement of the foot bridge that crosses into Bro Wyled Estate and replace a private access bridge to Cae Rhug. It is expected that the flood alleviation work will take around four months to complete.
Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, Leader of Gwynedd Council said: “I’m delighted to see this major flood alleviation project get underway. This important project is hugely important for the people of Rhostryfan and I hope it will give residents living in the area the peace of mind that improved flood alleviation measures are being put in place.
“Rhostryfan has seen its share of flooding over the years, and engineers from the Council’s YGC Department have worked hard to develop this important project. It will provide protection for 38 properties and improve the structural stability of the highway that crosses the culvert in the square at Rhostryfan.
“Our officers and the contractors carrying out the work have shared information about the project with local residents and further information will be available throughout the work so that local people are aware of the latest developments. I look forward to seeing the project take shape over the coming weeks.”
Lesley Griffiths, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, said: “I am very pleased to note that work for the new defences at Rhostryfan is progressing, and would like to thank Gwynedd Council for their continued work on this project during the pandemic.
“Welsh Government has committed well over £1million in funding over recent years towards the design, development and construction of this project, and it is one of a number of projects throughout Wales which will help to defend communities from severe flooding.
“As a government, we want to make it as easy as possible for local authorities to progress with and plan for works such as these, which is why earlier this year we increased the funding available through our Flood and Coastal Risk Management Programmes.
“All preparatory work for schemes is now funded 100% by Welsh Government, while our contribution towards coastal schemes has increased from 75% to 85%. This will allow hard-pressed local authorities to be more pro-active when planning future flood defences, against the backdrop of the February storms and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.”
As part of the scheme in Rhostryfan, repairs and scour protection measures will be carried out to the channel walls for a stretch of around 100 metres upstream of the culvert works. This will increase the structural stability of the channel walls and reduce the risk of large rocks being washed further downstream.
The flood alleviation work is being undertaken for Gwynedd Council by contractors, Alun Griffith Ltd in a way that fully complies with the Government’s current guidelines on social distancing.
Griffiths’ Executive Director, Martyn Evans said: “We are delighted that work is now due to commence to deliver these essential flood alleviation works for the village of Rhostryfan.
“We remain committed to minimising impact on local residents and businesses during construction. Our Community Engagement Officer will be using new contactless means of engaging with stakeholders which will keep everyone informed and updated.
“We have embedded additional safety measures as a result of Coronavirus that exceed current Government guidance, protect our workforce and the local community.
“We look forward to starting work and maximising project benefits, such as local employment and supply chain opportunities.”
Rhostryfan residents who want any more information about the project are welcome to contact Mandy Evans from Alun Griffiths Ltd: email – mandy.evans@alungriffiths.co.uk, telephone – 03300412185.
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