Plaid’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Llanelli, Myfanwy Davies and local AM Helen Mary Jones have been pushing for long term solutions to flooding problems in Llanelli. Residents often suffer flooding because the sewage system does not have the capacity to drain extra rain water during severe weather.
At a meeting on the 17th of November, Helen Mary and Myfanwy met with Senior Operational Managers from Welsh Water and were told that at that time, the company had plans to invest up to £6 million pounds in building new storm water drains in Llanelli. The new plans would increase drainage during and after heavy rain. Later that month, on the 26th of November, Ofwat published price limits that would appear to have had some impact on these plans and on the 14th January, Dwr Cymru publicly released a figure of £2.7 million for investment in the storm water drainage programme in Llanelli.
Welsh Water is a not-for-profit company and as such all its profits are used to maintain infrastructure and prevent floods. While cost-savings can be made through efficiencies, there are serious concerns about the effect of the regulator’s decision on these crucial plans for Llanelli.
Myfanwy contacted Elfyn Llwyd MP, leader of the Plaid Cymru Parliamentary Group to ask him to raise the issue with the Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain. Mr Llwyd asked the Secretary of State if he agreed that Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water should be allowed to invest in infrastructure such as the flood prevention work that had been planned for Llanelli but that appears to have been adversely effected by Ofwat’s decision on what represents value for money.
Llanelli’s Labour MP Nia Griffiths who was present at the time, did not make any comment on the discussion.
Myfanwy said: “I am very pleased that Mr. Llwyd was able to respond so quickly to our concerns. Flooding is a terrible event and is happening more and more often across Llanelli.
I fully welcome Welsh Water’s current plans for investment in Llanelli. Nearly £3 million of investment in our storm drains will make a difference and I hope that sum can be increased. There are concerns about the possible effect of Ofwat’s decision on the larger programme of investment that was previously described to Helen Mary and myself. We are very happy to discuss the exact figures with managers at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru who are surprisingly reticent about that discussion now. We are of course, sensitive to their need to avoid conflict with Ofwat.
Our aim here, is to make sure that Llanelli gets the investment it needs and it can’t be right that Welsh Water is being judged in the same way as a company run by shareholders because as a not-for-profit company, it has to use income from customers to maintain and improve drains such as those we need so badly in Llanelli.
It looks very much as if we are being denied work to prevent floods based on a regulator that is judging a different kind of company.
Working with Helen Mary and the Plaid Parliamentary group I hope we can sort out this mess to prevent flooding here and across Wales”
Helen Mary said: “The first step has now been taken towards allowing Welsh Water to invest in Llanelli as was described to Myfanwy and myself before Christmas. I sat on the committee that established Welsh Water as a not-for-profit company and so I am delighted that we are finally making progress towards letting it invest properly in Wales and managing it according to what it is meant to do – which is to develop and maintain good services in the long-term”.
Elfyn Llwyd said: “Flooding is a major concern in Llanelli and I know that Myfanwy has been supporting local residents in dealing with issues such as insurance and flood protection and has also been involved in more long term local solutions. When Myfanwy contacted me to discuss what appear to be significantly reduced plans by Welsh Water to deal with storm water drainage, it was clear that we would need to act in Parliament to make sure that scheme and many like it across Wales are funded.
Given the seriousness of flooding in Llanelli and the obvious need to look at how Welsh Water is regulated, I am surprised that Llanelli’s MP did not raise this issue herself.”
Showing posts with label flooding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flooding. Show all posts
Monday, 22 February 2010
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Myfanwy and Mari Davies back Pwll residents fighting for answers on flooding
Following the misery caused by flooding in Llanelli earlier this month, Dr Myfanwy Davies Plaid’s Westminster Candidate for Llanelli and her mother, Hengoed Councillor Cllr. Mari Davies visited residents in the Nurseries and Bassett Terrace in Pwll.
Residents raised concerns about the management of the river Dulais, the bed of which has risen considerably due to a failure to remove silt and stones. Concerns have also been raised about the condition of the mud and sand bank behind the Nurseries which was breached this month leading to severe flooding in the Nurseries. Further concerns raised by residents in Bassett Terrace centre on the diversion of the River Dulais which now flows directly behind their homes.
Trudi Williams who is a spokesperson for the group said:
“When I moved here they said that severe flooding happens once in seventy years but we’ve had floods three times in the last ten years. During all that time, the silt and stones in the river have not been cleared and the only time I have ever seen people from the Environment Agency here is once we have had flooding. They admit responsibility for managing the river, so let’s see some management. We need the river cleared so that there is room for the water to flow because the arches under the bridge are nearly underwater even on a dry day. When there is heavy rain, it has got to the point where it will overflow. I live in dread of stormy weather now because I just don’t know how bad it could get”
Myfanwy Davies said: “It is clear that the Agency needs to remove the silt and stones from the river Dulais. I am appalled that they have allowed the river bed to fill up so dangerously when we know that the area suffers from flooding and I will be demanding swift action to clear the debris before the next heavy rain”.
“It is very disappointing that the Agency is seeking to avoid responsibility for the flood defenses behind the Nurseries. Together with Helen Mary Jones I will be working to establish who owns the bank so that we can ensure that resources are found to build adequate flood defenses”.
“I was shown photos of the River Dulais where it is diverted behind Basset Terrace after heavy rain and it is clear that the 90 degree bend slows the flow of the water and is much more likely to cause flooding. I have been told that representatives of the Environment Agency have agreed to reinforce the wall behind the nurseries but none of the residents know what implications that building work would have further upstream. I have written to Jane Davidson AM, the Minister for the Environment to ask her for an inquiry into the potential risk of flooding where rivers have been diverted by the Environment Agency. Clearly there are implications for other areas where rivers have been diverted. I will ask the Minister to ensure that the Agency performs its basic statutory duty of managing the river behind the Nurseries and I have also asked Helen Mary Jones to call a meeting with Ms Davidson and local residents at the earliest possible date”.
Cllr Mari Davies said: “It is just not acceptable for the Environment Agency to try to avoid its fundamental duty of managing the river north of Pwll Road. If the residents of the Nurseries are responsible for the bank, and that is debatable, why were they never informed of that and advised what to do to protect their homes? We need to know whether a flooding risk assessment was performed before the river Dulais was diverted south of Pwll Road. Myfanwy is quite right to raise those questions with Helen Mary and the Minister.”
Diwedd / Ends
Notes for Editors:
The residents are keen to address 3 issues:
1. To have the river dredged behind the Nurseries
2. To establish who owns that bank, what defense works would be suitable and what resources could be found to help them build them
3. To establish whether the houses in Bassett Terrace and The Nurseries are more likely to be flooded following the diversion of the Dulais and the low walls build around it to prevent flooding.
Residents raised concerns about the management of the river Dulais, the bed of which has risen considerably due to a failure to remove silt and stones. Concerns have also been raised about the condition of the mud and sand bank behind the Nurseries which was breached this month leading to severe flooding in the Nurseries. Further concerns raised by residents in Bassett Terrace centre on the diversion of the River Dulais which now flows directly behind their homes.
Trudi Williams who is a spokesperson for the group said:
“When I moved here they said that severe flooding happens once in seventy years but we’ve had floods three times in the last ten years. During all that time, the silt and stones in the river have not been cleared and the only time I have ever seen people from the Environment Agency here is once we have had flooding. They admit responsibility for managing the river, so let’s see some management. We need the river cleared so that there is room for the water to flow because the arches under the bridge are nearly underwater even on a dry day. When there is heavy rain, it has got to the point where it will overflow. I live in dread of stormy weather now because I just don’t know how bad it could get”
Myfanwy Davies said: “It is clear that the Agency needs to remove the silt and stones from the river Dulais. I am appalled that they have allowed the river bed to fill up so dangerously when we know that the area suffers from flooding and I will be demanding swift action to clear the debris before the next heavy rain”.
“It is very disappointing that the Agency is seeking to avoid responsibility for the flood defenses behind the Nurseries. Together with Helen Mary Jones I will be working to establish who owns the bank so that we can ensure that resources are found to build adequate flood defenses”.
“I was shown photos of the River Dulais where it is diverted behind Basset Terrace after heavy rain and it is clear that the 90 degree bend slows the flow of the water and is much more likely to cause flooding. I have been told that representatives of the Environment Agency have agreed to reinforce the wall behind the nurseries but none of the residents know what implications that building work would have further upstream. I have written to Jane Davidson AM, the Minister for the Environment to ask her for an inquiry into the potential risk of flooding where rivers have been diverted by the Environment Agency. Clearly there are implications for other areas where rivers have been diverted. I will ask the Minister to ensure that the Agency performs its basic statutory duty of managing the river behind the Nurseries and I have also asked Helen Mary Jones to call a meeting with Ms Davidson and local residents at the earliest possible date”.
Cllr Mari Davies said: “It is just not acceptable for the Environment Agency to try to avoid its fundamental duty of managing the river north of Pwll Road. If the residents of the Nurseries are responsible for the bank, and that is debatable, why were they never informed of that and advised what to do to protect their homes? We need to know whether a flooding risk assessment was performed before the river Dulais was diverted south of Pwll Road. Myfanwy is quite right to raise those questions with Helen Mary and the Minister.”
Diwedd / Ends
Notes for Editors:
The residents are keen to address 3 issues:
1. To have the river dredged behind the Nurseries
2. To establish who owns that bank, what defense works would be suitable and what resources could be found to help them build them
3. To establish whether the houses in Bassett Terrace and The Nurseries are more likely to be flooded following the diversion of the Dulais and the low walls build around it to prevent flooding.
Monday, 29 June 2009
Myfanwy and Jill Evans MEP fight for answers on cockle-deaths and flooding in Europe
Following a request by Dr Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s Llanelli Westminster candidate, Plaid MEP Jill Evans will meet with representatives of the European Commission on Wednesday (1st July). Recent figures show that cockles are continuing to die in large numbers putting the future of Llanelli’s cockle industry at risk. Last week a packed meeting called by a National Assembly Committee also heard accounts by people across Llanelli who had been victims of flooding.
Myfanwy is concerned that the existing flooding problem is being made considerably worse by the effects of more extreme weather but also by insufficient attention given by government agencies to the impact of some large-scale housing developments on draining surface water and on over-used sewage facilities.
Myfanwy has recently backed calls for independent scientific research to explore the reasons for the cockle deaths so that action can be taken while there is still a fishery to protect.
Ms. Evans will question the representatives of the Commission on where responsibility lies for calling for environmental impact assessments to assess the full impact developments will have on our environment. She will also ask officials about potential sanctions where for organisations have not called for these assessments where risks to the environment such as flooding have followed. Ms Evans will also request details of investigations into events similar to the cockle deaths elsewhere in Europe and will ask for these reports to be made available to Welsh scientists, cockle pickers and campaigners.
Ms. Evans said:
“Flooding in Llanelli is becoming much more severe and more frequent. This is partly due to the more extreme weather but it is a cause for concern that many new developments in the area that involve concreting over land that would drain water have not been subject to proper environmental impact assessments. I am not against new houses where they are affordable and needed, but we must make sure that new developments are properly assessed and that sensible measures are built into them to allow water to drain and to prevent flooding elsewhere”.
“I have been supporting the fishermen’s campaign to find out what is killing the cockles for a number of years. It is sad and frustrating that we are no nearer to getting real answers while the fishery risks being destroyed. There is no substitute for rigourous scientific research into this, and I will use my meeting with the representatives of the Commission to gather evidence on similar events in other places.”
Myfanwy said:
“I am delighted that Jill Evans has been able to organize a meeting with representative of the Commission so quickly. Our communities are suffering from severe flooding on a much more regular basis than was previously the case. The Assembly’s meeting last Friday confirmed to me the importance of making sure that new developments along the estuary do not effect flooding elsewhere. Jill Evans is also intending to raise the issue of the cockle deaths. We urgently need to know what is killing the cockles so that we can act to preserve the fishery and the livelihoods that depend on it.”
Myfanwy is concerned that the existing flooding problem is being made considerably worse by the effects of more extreme weather but also by insufficient attention given by government agencies to the impact of some large-scale housing developments on draining surface water and on over-used sewage facilities.
Myfanwy has recently backed calls for independent scientific research to explore the reasons for the cockle deaths so that action can be taken while there is still a fishery to protect.
Ms. Evans will question the representatives of the Commission on where responsibility lies for calling for environmental impact assessments to assess the full impact developments will have on our environment. She will also ask officials about potential sanctions where for organisations have not called for these assessments where risks to the environment such as flooding have followed. Ms Evans will also request details of investigations into events similar to the cockle deaths elsewhere in Europe and will ask for these reports to be made available to Welsh scientists, cockle pickers and campaigners.
Ms. Evans said:
“Flooding in Llanelli is becoming much more severe and more frequent. This is partly due to the more extreme weather but it is a cause for concern that many new developments in the area that involve concreting over land that would drain water have not been subject to proper environmental impact assessments. I am not against new houses where they are affordable and needed, but we must make sure that new developments are properly assessed and that sensible measures are built into them to allow water to drain and to prevent flooding elsewhere”.
“I have been supporting the fishermen’s campaign to find out what is killing the cockles for a number of years. It is sad and frustrating that we are no nearer to getting real answers while the fishery risks being destroyed. There is no substitute for rigourous scientific research into this, and I will use my meeting with the representatives of the Commission to gather evidence on similar events in other places.”
Myfanwy said:
“I am delighted that Jill Evans has been able to organize a meeting with representative of the Commission so quickly. Our communities are suffering from severe flooding on a much more regular basis than was previously the case. The Assembly’s meeting last Friday confirmed to me the importance of making sure that new developments along the estuary do not effect flooding elsewhere. Jill Evans is also intending to raise the issue of the cockle deaths. We urgently need to know what is killing the cockles so that we can act to preserve the fishery and the livelihoods that depend on it.”
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