‘Home would be cut off by water if flood dam built’
ACOUPLE 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 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 and 3.5m high in the meadow at the Woodland Trust site in Dinas Powys.
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.
“The spillway
would wash across our entrance drive and we would be, in effect, cut off. No vehicles could get in or out.”
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.
“Look what happened in Whaley Bridge when the spillway became a torrent.”
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 carrying on,” said Mr Watts.
NRW 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. So, there is a low chance of disruption, and it may be possible to protect the access road with further measures.”
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 it 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.
■ Save Dinas Powys Woods and Protect Homes from Flooding is holding a public walk on Sunday, September 15, at 2pm, meeting at the bottom of Pen-y-Turnpike Road in Dinas Powys.