Shadow Minister welcomes £31m for flooding and coal tip repairs in Wales

Let's not forget large areas of Cynon Valley were flooded something permanent needs to be done about the culverts in Abercwmboi 

Photograph by Carl Portingale

Janet Finch-Saunders MS – the Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Energy and Rural Affairs – has welcomed the announcement that some £31 million will be made available to repair damage caused by severe floods, including to coal tips, following storms across Wales earlier this year.

Although responsibility for flood defences and flood management is devolved, the UK Government agreed to provide funding from the UK Reserve for 2020-21 given the exceptional circumstances.

Mrs Finch-Saunders said:

“The damage wreaked by Storms Ciara, Dennis, and others at the start of 2020 devastated lives, homes, and businesses in Wales, especially communities in former mining areas where the effect on redundant coal tips must have caused great anxiety for residents.

“The funding, therefore, is very much to be welcomed, not least by people living in those areas as coal tip and flood damage remediation work is carried out.”

Notes

Funding is being provided from the UK Reserve and ringfenced for these activities

This is subject to the usual conditions of UK Reserve funding as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy