Home would become island under flood prevention plans – couple
A COUPLE say their house will be cut off by water under flood prevention plans which would also destroy ancient woodland.
David and Judy Watts, whose house Tyn-y-Coed in Dinas Powys dates back to the 11th century, are horrified by proposals from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to build a dam on fields below it.
Under the scheme, which has sparked protests from other residents, NRW proposes building a dam 60m wide by 3.5m high in the meadow at the Woodland Trust site.
The spillway for it would wash across the drive to the Watts’ £975,000 home, effectively cutting them off when it gets too full.
“If the dam overflows, access and egress would be cut off. No ambulance or fire engines could get in or out if needed. We would be isolated,” said retired engineer Mr Watts, 82.
He admitted it was not clear how often this might happen but said 100m of his half-mile drive had been earmarked as part of the spillway under the plans.
“You don’t know what can happen,” he said.
Wife Judy, 79, a former nurse, said her health has been affected by the worry.
The couple, who have lived in the five-bedroom house for 40 years and raised their family there, had hoped to sell it and downsize.
“It was on the market but the estate agent said there’s no point with this threat,” said Mr Watts.
Natural Resources Wales claimed there was minimal risk of an overflow flood.
“In the case of Tyn-y-Coed, the exact location and layout of the flood storage area has not been designed, but the access road would be unaffected up to the 1% chance flood event,” it said.
“So there is a low chance of disruption and it may be possible to protect the access road with further measures against lower chance flood events, if necessary.
“Additionally, an alternative access/egress route could also be provided to Tyn-y-Coed if necessary.”
Action group Save Dinas Powys Woods and Protect Homes from Flooding, also opposes NRW’s dam plans – estimated to cost between £3m and £7m – and is urging the body to go with other options to address what is says is a small flood risk to a number of homes downstream in the village. The group warns the dam will destroy ancient woodland, threaten wildlife including kingfishers and doormice and curb access for walkers.
Group member Cathy Farr said: “NRW claim that they have not yet decided on an option and doing nothing might still be one, yet they put the notice up in the car park to say that they were building a dam.
“There are far more environmentally friendly options such as utilising the lakes further upstream, formalising the flood plain on Sully Moors (as they say in their own report), simply regularly clearing the river or riparian tree planting, to name a few.”
Vale of Glamorgan Council Conservative councillor for Dinas Powys Andrew Robertson said: “One of the things I can’t understand is why they are intending to spend what I have heard is between £3m and £7m on this dam when I would say other areas in Wales are far more in need of flood schemes.”
NRW operations manager Tim England said: “Since 2016, we’ve been assessing how to manage flood risk in the Cadoxton River catchment, including to the village of Dinas Powys.
“We are currently considering a number of options to reduce the flood risk in Dinas Powys.
“These include flood defences through Dinas Powys, upstream flood storage area and natural flood management.
“Doing nothing or managing the flood risk less effectively are also options.
“We are aware of properties on St Cadoc’s Avenue, Greenfield Avenue, Elm Grove Place and Cardiff Road at Eastbrook flooding, with internal property flooding reported in 1903, 1948, 1986, 1998, 1999 and 2008. External flooding was also reported in 1965, 1968, 1976, 1995, 2007, 2012 and 2013.”
Each option, including the dam, will be costed and the one chosen put to the Welsh Government to seek funding approval.
If funding is agreed NRW will seek planning permission from the Vale of Glamorgan Council, probably in the next couple of years, he added. ■ Save Dinas Powys Woods and Protect Homes from Flooding is holding a public walk on Sunday at 2pm, meeting at the bottom of Pen-y-Turnpike Road in Dinas Powys to inform people of NRW’s dam plans.