PLANS tabled by the Welsh Conservatives at the Senedd last week received a mixed response from opposition parties.
The debate, led by Conservative Shadow Environment Minister Janet Howarth, focused on the Welsh Conservatives’ Five Point Plan to alleviate flooding in the future, mixed in with what the Welsh Conservatives described as ‘widespread condemnation of the response of the Welsh Labour Government to the flooding crisis’.
It did not take long for comparisons to be made with the UK Government’s response to the flooding in the north of England. Ms Howarth refused to take the opportunity, offered by former Environment Minister Alun Davies, to condemn the UK Government’s handling of the flooding.
The plan put forward by the Welsh Conservatives concentrated around the following:
- Exploring the provision of rate relief for impacted businesses;
- Reviewing how the Trunk Road Agency responds to adverse weather conditions;
- Assessing the management of the A55 in relation to flooding;
- Providing additional freedoms to farmers and landowners to clear ditches, drains and agricultural channels; and
- Assessing how the Rural Development Programme can better support flood prevention schemes for communities affected by flooding.
The first three of these ideas were taken on board by Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant, which led to Ms Howarth claiming after the meeting that: “I welcome the Welsh Government’s endorsement of our proposals to support those affected by flooding and take measures to prevent future floods.
“Lessons must be learnt from the way these floods were handled to protect families, businesses and communities in future.
“This is further evidence that it’s the Welsh Conservatives, not Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour, offering new ideas and real change.”
However, other proposals were met with less enthusiasm. A plan to deregulate the clearing of ditches, drains, and agricultural channels was blocked.
In certain flood-hit areas of Yorkshire, the clearing of ditches, which facilitated the quicker movement of surface water towards more densely-populated areas downstream, was partially blamed for the severity of the flooding.
Giving landowners and farmers freedom to clear channels ‘could have serious consequences’, Mr Sargeant warned.
“We recognise that a free-for-all clearing of ditches and drainage can have a major impact on communities – we have to be balanced in our approach to this.
“NRW has an annual programme to de-silt water courses where it can make a difference, and landowners can undertake watercourse maintenance themselves subject to consent.”
Mr Sargeant also pointed out that deregulation would lead to landowners ‘de-risking’ their own land, and that dredging could cause problems by speeding up water transfer, leading to problems downstream.
Conservative Shadow Local Government Minister Janet Finch- Saunders also appeared to assume that the floods which devastated large regions of the UK were worse in north Wales due to the Welsh Labour Government. “I can assure you that many miles away up north we are still reeling from the devastating floods of the last few weeks,” she stated, presumably meaning north Wales.
Ms Finch-Saunders also claimed that ‘when flood water and raw sewage were ‘gushing in “there was no comment from you, First Minister – no leadership.
“You can shake your head, but facts are facts – you have failed miserably where flooding is concerned.”
This is, of course, in stark contrast to the flood defence plan implemented in England over the past five years, and Mr Sargeant appeared to lose his patience, claiming in his response that Ms Finch-Saunders had been ‘tweeting away from the comfort of her home’ while NRW officials were out dealing with the flooding in her area.
It is also worth pointing out that Carwyn Jones did in fact make several visits to areas of north Wales affected by flooding, including Llanwrst, which was specifically mentioned by Ms Finch-Saunders.
During these visits, Mr Jones pointed out that north Wales had “more rain than the north of England did and we were less affected.
“The people who were affected, it was awful for them, let’s not try and minimise that. But the defences that we had in place held in the main – yes, there were some areas where that didn’t happen.
“But the big challenge is, and this is what the scientists are telling us, is trying to predict where flooding will happen.”
Labour AM Joyce Watson raised an issue particularly pertinent to Carmarthenshire – that of planning for development:
“Planning permission all too often allows properties to be built on flood plains – very often by Councillors who allow that permission to go through,” the Mid and West Assembly Member claimed.
“They must be held to account on those decisions.”
Given that concerns have been previously raised concerning flood risk at two major proposed developments in Carmarthenshire – Carmarthen West, and the Grillo site in Burry Port, this would seem somewhat relevant.
In the case of the Carmarthen West development, it was claimed by local Councillors that the modeling for the dispersal of surface water was not conclusive, and that properties in Johnstown could be affected by surface water flooding.
Ms Watson also claimed that most new homes will have an extra 20% area of impermeable land – either hard-standing for a vehicle or a patio – added by new owners, and that this was not accounted for, something that will only exacerbate such problems. She suggested that all future hardstanding should be permeable to ease this issue.
Issues with ‘contradictory’ planning policy advice had been previously raised by Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns in First Minister’s Questions.
During a heated debate with the First Minister Ms Burns said: “When are you and your Government going to get to grips with planning policy? You have a policy that enables Councils to allow house builders to develop in areas of flood risk as evidenced by the builds in my constituency that have suffered from being flooded in the past 3 months let alone the past few years…”
Speaking afterwards Ms Burns said: “This is such a serious issue but the Welsh Government are dragging their heels over sorting it out. We’ve seen flooding in Tenby and Llansteffan, Amroth and areas around St Clears to name just a few instances. Houses are built, communities are undefended, flood defences delayed because their risk is deemed low.
“And yet the same policy that allows that development stops a multi million pound business expansion which has an even lower level of risk. A business expansion that would have brought another 150 jobs to Carmarthenshire and made west Wales a centre for film and music.
“It’s illogical and contradictory, I was shocked by the First Minister’s response and his refusal to recognise that contradictory planning guidance is being used as a tool to stifle business growth but doesn’t protect homes”.
The multi-million pound business development Ms Burns referred to was the Corran development near Laugharne, where recent plans to create a wetland holiday village which promised to create over 200 jobs, were refused permission in part due to the flooding risk, local infrastructure issues, and the environmental importance of the site. The plans were voted down by an overwhelming majority of Councillors on the Planning Committee.
However, other projects in Carmarthenshire were praised, including Rainscape surface water removal projects in Llanelli.
John Griffiths AM said that the Welsh Water scheme to ‘green’ the Llanelli area to hold water rather than allowing it to run off and create flood risk was ‘absolutely the right way to go.’
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