In an urgent question in the Welsh Parliament this afternoon, Clwyd West Assembly Member Darren Millar called on the Welsh Government to take emergency action to help homes and businesses in Conwy hit by the weekend’s floods.
In the aftermath of Storm Ciara, which battered much of Conwy and caused severe flooding in Llanfair TH, Llangernyw, Llansannan and Colwyn Bay, Darren referred to funding being made available by the UK Government to local authorities in England affected by the storm, and urged the Welsh Government to provide similar support to local authorities, such as Conwy, affected in Wales.
Speaking in the Senedd, he said:
“In England, the UK Government has made available the Bellwin funding for local authorities which have been affected by storm Ciara. Can I ask that you trigger the Emergency Financial Assistance Scheme, particularly for Conwy, given that it's experienced over the weekend the worst flooding since the Towyn floods thirty years ago?”
Darren also expressed concern that the people of Llanfair Talhaearn have been flooded three times in eight years and called for a “rapid review” of a planned improvement project in the village to ensure it is fit for purpose.
He said: “Flooding is obviously very devastating, and having lived through the Towyn floods – the 30th anniversary of which is later this month— I can testify to the huge impact that it has and the lasting legacy that it has on any families, homes and businesses which have been affected.
“The people of Llanfair Talhaearn have been affected by flooding for the third time in eight years, and that's in spite of a programme of improvement, Phase 1 of which is already complete.
“I know that Phase 2 of the improvement project is supposed to be underway in the Spring and I would suggest that there now needs to be a rapid review of that particular project to make sure that it is going to be fit for purpose.
“As I understand it, there was a problem with the maintenance of the clearing of the Nant Barrog, which overflowed and flooded homes in Llanfair T H over the weekend, and I think people will be looking as to why that maintenance regime has been insufficient to protect them this time around”.
Darren also called on the Welsh Government to take action to ensure that those affected by the floods can access affordable insurance in the future.