Council considers buying flood-risk homes and moving occupants out
RCT Council has said it will engage with residents of 16 houses in Clydach Terrace, Ynysybwl, to discuss their future needs, after Natural Resources Wales said a flood defence scheme was not viable.
Clydach Terrace In Ynysybwl where NRW had been considering a couple of options for flood risk works
(Image: Google )
Voluntary acquisition of properties by the council and help with relocating residents could be considered for houses at risk of river flooding in a south Wales street if needed.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has said it is going to work with residents at risk of river flooding in Clydach Terrace, Ynysybwl, to assess their housing and wellbeing needs after Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said a flood defence scheme was not viable.
The local authority has agreed to start engagement with the residents of numbers 1 to 16 Clydach Terrace, Ynysybwl (excluding 6a and 6b).
This will inform a future decision by the council as to whether it uses any of its statutory or discretionary powers to intervene.
The council said this engagement was proposed due to the significant ongoing risk to health, safety and property from river flooding and the decision by Natural Resources Wales (the responsible flood risk management authority) that a flood defence scheme to protect the properties was not viable. £4.5m is to be spent on these streets after Storm Dennis and Storm Bert flooding
A council report said numbers 1 to 16 Clydach Terrace, Ynysybwl (excluding 6a and 6b) were at high river flood risk from the Nant Clydach.
Article continues below
During Storm Dennis in February, 2020, the 16 homes were rapidly inundated with flood water with internal flooding up to 1.96m in depth.
Further flooding was experienced during Storm Bert in November, 2024 and residents of Clydach Terrace continue to live with the heightened fear of further flooding incidents, the report says. To get all the latest Rhondda news straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is the flood risk management authority in this instance and in June, 2025, it published its Ynysybwl Flood Risk Management Outline Business Case.
This looked at several possible flood risk management solutions for Clydach Terrace, including the construction of a raised flood defence wall.
But the assessment found that this was not an economically viable option under UK and Welsh Government funding rules for flood risk management purposes. You can read more about that here.
The report said residents of Clydach Terrace continued to live with the ongoing flood risk in the knowledge that there was no viable proposal available to protect their homes.
Article continues below
Given the significant risk to health presented and danger to life in this area and the recent decision by NRW, it was proposed that the council engage with the residents and owners of the 16 homes affected by flooding at Clydach Terrace to assess their future housing and wellbeing needs.
The council said this would allow a fully informed report to a future cabinet on any further assistance the council might be able to offer residents, which might include the potential voluntary acquisition of their properties by the council and relocation assistance if needed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
3 days ago
- North Wales Live
Water warning for whole country as dry and warm weather sees 'trigger levels' hit
A water warning has been issued for the whole of Wales due to "warm and dry" conditions. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said the whole nation has been moved into "prolonged dry weather" status. This comes after a warm and dry July which has led to reduced river flows and soil moisture levels. It comes on the back of a warm and sunny spring with low rainfall levels. The new status does not mean any ban on water usage for things like gardens but people are urged to use water wisely and follow local advice from Dwr Cymru and Hafren Dyfrdwy. Natural Resources Wales said: "The warm and dry conditions we have experienced throughout July has taken its toll on the natural environment. Low and localised rainfall throughout the month has resulted in reduced river flows and soil moisture levels, and there are concerns for groundwater levels across the majority of Wales. "Trigger levels have now been met to move the whole of Wales back into 'Prolonged Dry Weather' status. "Groundwater remains a concern in the majority of Wales with minimal response to rainfall and levels quickly regressing. Reports of very low/dry river beds, high river temperatures, low dissolved oxygen and resulting distressed fish and fish kills are being received. "Also, impacts on agriculture, business and recreation and navigation. The deteriorations we have seen in our hydrological and other indicators, including environmental, have confirmed that all parts of Wales should stay at/move back to 'prolonged dry weather'. "We'll continue to monitor the situation closely and work with partners to manage any impacts. "This includes close monitoring of the rivers Usk and Wye, where river temperatures have been averaging above 20 degrees With the summer holidays now in full swing, please continue to use water wisely and follow local advice from Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy." NRW added: "We are continuing to engage regularly with the water companies regarding their reservoir levels and their supply position. "The prolonged dry and hot period experienced during spring and into the summer together with the unsettled, warm outlook for Wales means that we are experiencing localised environmental issues. The long-term impact of those warmer drier conditions on our habitats and species, on groundwater levels (and in turn river baseflow) in late summer / autumn, and on sectors like agriculture are yet to be fully realised across Wales. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely within all catchments and respond to any issues that may emerge. "We are continuing to regularly engage with the Welsh Government, stakeholders and other regulators to discuss concerns of how the prolonged dry weather is or may impact people, organisations and the environment across Wales. "The statuses of all catchments in Wales will be reviewed at our next drought meetings."
BBC News
27-07-2025
- BBC News
Bradford-on-Avon 'not being abandoned' after £11m scheme u-turn
The Environment Agency says it is not abandoning town hit by heavy flooding after scrapping a proposed £11m defence in Wiltshire, was badly flooded in January 2024 before being devastated by Storm Bert in agency said a permanent £11m flood scheme for the town is now "unviable", adding it is committed to "community resilience and better flood warning".Ian Withers, the Environment Agency's area director for Wessex, said: "It would be irresponsible to spend that kind of money that wouldn't necessarily protect the town from the sort of flooding we've seen in the last two years." The River Avon has burst in banks in Bradford-on-Avon on numerous occasions in recent years, flooding nearby roads and Withers added the threat of a flood is "tripled" there because:It has a "huge catchment which drains through the town","Huge volume of water which goes underground, that floods properties from the grounds upwards",And town is in a "steep-sided bowl".The agency said it has ruled out the planned permanent flood scheme, which involved low walls and pumping stations, as prospective costs have more than doubled since it was proposed in 2017. Mr Withers said the "impact of climate change" has also caused the agency to re-think its plans."Originally the plan was valid for the sort of weather we were having associated with the climate, before we started seeing the impact of climate change."Now we know the river can run through that town at the volume, speed and height that it does – we've seen it every winter for the last two of three years – the game's changed. We need to modernise our thinking and put in place a better system."He added: "We're absolutely not abandoning the town or walking away." On Monday hundreds of people attended a special event held to provide information on how to protect homes and businesses from flooding in event was organised by the Environment Agency, Wiltshire Council and Wessex Water.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- BBC News
'Filthy' Aberthaw quarry dust covers village homes and cars
Dust blown in from a quarry has covered homes and possessions and caused sore eyes and difficulties with breathing, residents of a south Wales community fuel ash (PFA) blew in to the villages of Fonmon and Font-y-Gary, Vale of Glamorgan, from nearby Aberthaw Quarry after a period of dry and windy told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that bedroom window sills were covered in thick black dust and reported feeling like they had sand paper in their company RWE, which is carrying out works to clean the site and remove the PFA, apologised and said it was "quickly and diligently" trying to address the issue. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it was investigating the works to make sure proper controls were put in place."I noticed that the soles of our feet… were absolutely black," said local resident Charlotte Troth, as she recalled one of the worst incidents of ash being blown into Fonmon recently."[They were] filthy black and I'd only walked inside my house without my shoes on."Then I started looking all over the house and my two-year old daughter's bedroom window sills were covered in thick black dust," she said, adding it had been warm that day and the windows had been open. Ms Troth said the whole house was covered in thick black dust."We went into panic mode… [and] just started deep cleaning everything," she said."My eyes were feeling gritty and when I woke up in the morning it was like having sand paper in my eyes… and they felt really dry."The residents recalled three days in particular when the dust clouds were at their worst: 4 July, 8 July and 14 residents said dust had been on their property and possessions most days, with it returning to the surface of cars, patios and even kitchen floors hours after cleaning it resident Denise Cooper compared the dust to a mist "from one end from the castle right the way down to past Fonmon cross roads". "That's happened three times, this mist… but in terms of dust levels in our homes [it's] every day."Another resident of Fonmon, Denise Martlew, said: "I've had to keep the windows and doors closed obviously because I can't breathe it in."You open it for 10 minutes and the dust, it comes in," she said."We shouldn't have to live like this in this day and age."We are not living on a coal site, but we're experiencing the same effects."Denise Cooper said she first complained about the dust on 7July, and claimed it had caused her to develop a chest infection."I couldn't breathe. My garden furniture, my patio. Absolutely black," she said. RWE said the properties of PFA were "well known" and classified as non-hazardous, adding "decades of research and ash re-use confirm that PFA is stable and non-toxic".It said the activity at Aberthaw Quarry, which they have contracted Walters UK to undertake, involved essential works as part of the company's obligation to remediate and transform the site for future benefit and agricultural quarry was used as a site to transport and store PFA from Aberthaw Power Station, Wales' last coal-fired power station, which closed in of the former power station is expected to be completed by 2027, but there is also a 17 million tonne mound of compacted waste ash on site which will take years to be removed and processed. Anne Sloman, who lives in Font-y-Gary, is also concerned about the future of the ash added: "[We're] worried to the extent that possibly next year we'll put our house up and move."We've been there 27 years, love the spot, but this is a huge impact on our lives."RWE said the recent heat wave and strong winds, combined with the necessary removal of vegetation prior to reprofiling works, had contributed to unintended dust emissions from the site."RWE has been working with its contractor, Walters UK, to minimise local disruption through dust suppression measures, such as the use of water bowsers and halting works when necessary," a spokesperson said. Vale of Glamorgan Council was approached for a comment.
