Drainage upgrades will start on four residential streets in Pentre to reduce the risk of flooding in the local area. A series of phased road closures will be used locally to minimise the overall disruption to the community over the next month.
The flood alleviation work will begin on Monday, October 24 , and will last around four weeks. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has appointed Calibre Contracting to carry out the scheme and the upgrades will take place at Ash Grove, Hill Side Street, St Stephen’s Avenue and Windsor Place.
In 2020, Pentre experienced severe flooding during the unprecedented weather of Storm Dennis and was hit by flooding on five separate occasions. The rainfall during Storm Dennis caused record river levels and flows as Rhondda Cynon Taf recorded its most significant flooding since the 1970s.
READ MORE: Causes of flooding during Storm Dennis in RCT revealed
In total, 159 residential properties and 10 commercial properties were flooded in the village of Pentre alone, along with significant flooding to local highways.
As a result of Storm Dennis, an 85% contribution has been secured from Welsh Government’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management Small Scale Works Grant to support the flood defence work. The upgrades will improve the drainage network’s hydraulics, with a small section of the network being replaced.
Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, said: “This work in Pentre represents the latest targeted scheme to upgrade the critical drainage infrastructure that protects our communities. Improving resilience to flooding remains a Council priority in light of the continued threat posed by climate change. As always, we welcome Welsh Government’s continued support.
“We recently completed the publication of all Section 19 reports under the Flood and Water Management Act to understand what happened in Storm Dennis and to increase future preparedness. This invaluable work was carried out while the Council delivered improvement schemes on the ground – with £12m spent on infrastructure upgrades and £15m on storm repairs in recent years.
“This financial year (2022/23), more than £6.4m Welsh Government funding is secured for further Storm Dennis repairs, plus around £3.9m for across the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management and Small Scale Works Grant programmes. Cabinet Members also approved an additional £1m Council funding on October 17, which will expand our match funding opportunities.
“The upcoming scheme in Pentre will start on October 24, focusing on four local streets. The Council’s contractor will require phased road closures locally as the work moves from one location to another. I want to thank residents for their cooperation as this important scheme is carried out over the next month.”
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