FLOOD DEFENCE £85k approved for Llangefni prevention wall
COUNCIL chiefs have approved transferring £85,000 of capital funding to cover the costs of a flood prevention wall after Anglesey’s county town was hit by severe flooding almost 12 months ago.
Parts of Llangefni were submerged under several feet of water in November 2017 when the River Cefni burst its banks, causing devastation to several businesses.
Six residential and 27 commercial properties were internally flooded, according to a report presented to Anglesey Council’s executive.
In a bid to stop it happening again, decision makers approved the £85,000 bid to cover the costs faced by the highways, waste and property service to build the wall at the rear of Glandwr in Llangefni.
Portfolio holder Cllr Bob Parry said: “Because of NRW’s timeline, it was decided to rebuild a wall to the rear of Glandwr.
“The wall has now been finished and what we’re asking today is for £85,000 of capital budget to meet the cost of building this wall.
“It was considered that updating parts of the wall would help reduce future flooding across Church Street, as there was a strong community call for action to be taken before the winter draws in.”
Glandwr Bakery has not reopened since the floods after it suffered substantial damage, with the water up to six feet deep, smashing a window at the rear of the building and carrying a full oil tank several feet.
Officer Marc Jones confirmed there was enough capital funding left to allow the transfer to take place. The report noted: “The alternative to constructing the wall in Llangefni would be to wait for NRW to complete the flood modelling work with the risk of properties and businesses in the town centre suffering from flooding again in the interim.
“Due to the damage caused by the 22/11/17 flood, some residents are still affected and some businesses have not reopened. It was considered that delaying the work would risk further flooding and reputational damage to the authority.”