As the Flood Scheme Concludes

NRW finishes off its work at Cae Ddol, after nearly four weeks

As the anniversary of January 2021's flooding approaches, will residents and businesses at the bottom of Clwyd Street and Mill Street be happy with the NRW's work to improve the Cae Ddiol flood defence? In spite of sandbags appearing post flooding across the entire bund, NRW has only raised half of the earthworks, at the Castle end, leaving the rest as is. 

And, the area treated hasn't seen a substantial rise, either. It's more of a repair. It appears that youths with stunt bikes had significantly degraded the earth & grass bund. NRW therefore has ensured that the bund on the Castle side is of a consistent height and the highest addition in any one place is no more than a foot, often less. Consistency was therefore the order of the day.  

The part of the earthworks not treated and where the line of sandbags once was

The untreated half towards the play area has seen no erosion through stunt bikes, as it's impossible for bikers to get there (and the central footpath is a hard surface). In any case, the January 2021 floods were attributed to the ingress of water along the Castle side of the bund, not that nearer the Clwyd at the play area.

NRW states that to raise the bund further would jeopardise other areas, especially the potential for flooding on Mwrog Street: stopping water in one location affects others. There was no need to raise the bund at the play area end, they say, because that was already of a sufficient height and it hadn't been damaged. 

So, after nearly four weeks of work, Mill Street and lower Clwyd Street can rest safe in the knowledge that an event of January 2021's magnitude (which caused the flooding) cannot be repeated. 

But, should there be anything worse than in January, it does appear that the new defences may not cope. That is why there remain sandbags on site, stowed on pallets in Crispin, for residents' immediate use in the event of a serious alert.