Culvert replacement in Mountain Ash to increase flood resilience
The Labour-controlled RCT Council together with the Welsh Labour Government has lots of money to spend on flood defences all this funding is on new flood defences If the funding had been spent on the outdated flood defences before the 2020 storms then the majority of residents’ homes might not have been flooded.
For flood-hit Welsh communities, insurance is a luxury many can’t afford
Work to install an upgraded culvert system at a section of Dyffryn Road in Mountain Ash will soon get underway, using funding secured by the Council from Welsh Government to alleviate the risk of flooding locally.
The scheme will take place near Dyffryn Road’s junction with Aberffrwd Road, to replace the existing culvert with a structure that has an increased capacity to cope with periods of heavy rainfall. The upcoming work will also include the installation of a new inspection chamber and an outfall structure.
The Council’s Streetcare Team, working alongside its nominated sub-contractor, will deliver the scheme on site from Monday, January 8 (2024). The work is anticipated to last approximately five weeks. A lane closure will be required at Dyffryn Road, operated using temporary traffic lights. Local bus routes will be unchanged. A footway closure is also needed, with a temporary pedestrian route being signposted through the works area.
The Council has secured 85% funding from the taxpayer through the Welsh Government to deliver this scheme, via the Small Scale Works Grant. The remaining 15% match funding is provided by the Council’s Highways and Transportation Capital Programme.
Flooded drain and gully – Report a problem
Andrew Morgan
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, said: “This culvert upgrade in Mountain Ash is the latest of many schemes across the County Borough being targeted to reduce flood risk in local communities. The work will install a more suitable culvert with a greater capacity than the current structure, in preparation for future periods of heavy rainfall. The £105,000 investment is funded via Welsh Government with Council match funding.
In 2023/24, we’ve secured £4.8m for flood alleviation work via Welsh Government’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management and Small Scale Works Grant programmes – along with £900,000 from the Resilient Roads Fund. This is on top of the Council’s own Drainage/Flood Risk investment programme, while additional funding of £200,000 was allocated for flood alleviation in November as part of a wider investment in Council priority areas.
“The upcoming scheme at Dyffryn Road and Aberffrwd Road in Mountain Ash will start on January 8, requiring a lane closure and footway diversions. The Council will work hard to minimise the disruption to residents and road users, as we deliver this important flood alleviation investment for the community.
