Thousands of Prestatyn residents will benefit from enhanced
protection against coastal flooding following the completion of a
major £26 million coastal defence project which has completed
nine months ahead of schedule.
Homes and businesses in the area will now benefit from reduced
risk of coastal flooding thanks to the innovative flood defence
scheme which includes a new embankment to store storm surge
waters and reduce the risk of them reaching Prestatyn town centre
The new coastal defences, delivered by Balfour Beatty on behalf
of Denbighshire County Council, will safeguard 2,297 homes and 86
businesses from the increasing threat of storm surges and rising
sea levels.
Deputy First Minister, with responsibility for Climate Change and
Rural Affairs, , who officially opened the scheme today, said:
“These works will keep people safe and benefit the community for
years to come. This is a great example of the local authority
taking initiative and implementing a scheme which reduces the
future risk of flooding.
“I am keenly aware of the devastating impact flooding can have on
homes, livelihoods and people's lives.
“Safeguarding our communities from the catastrophic results of
flooding and coastal erosion is of utmost importance to me in
this role, and for this Government.
“We are committed to delivering support on the ground that will
protect our communities from the threats of climate change.”
The project features a new flood embankment set back from the
existing seafront defence, surrounding Rhyl Golf Course and
running adjacent to Rhyl Coast Road.
This strategic positioning will contain any water that overtops
the primary defences during extreme weather, preventing it from
flowing towards the centre of Prestatyn.
Additional protective measures include new rock armour at the
western end of the scheme, providing erosion protection around
the slipway, along with improvements to existing culverts and
construction of two new outfall structures.
Climate change and rising sea levels have increased flooding
risks along this stretch of coastline, with nearly 500 properties
previously flooded during storm events in nearby east Rhyl.
The Welsh Government provided 85% (£22.2 million) of the
construction funding through its Coastal Risk Management
Programme (CRMP), with Denbighshire County Council contributing
the remaining 15%. The Welsh Government also fully funded the
£1.75 million development phase.
Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport,
said: “Having witnessed the devastating effects of the coastal
flooding which hit Rhyl on December 5, 2013, this work is
particularly close to my heart.
“The Council opened Rhyl Leisure Centre at that time as an
evacuation centre due to the severe flooding, and the sight of my
residents coming in soaking wet clinging to their loved animals
will never leave me.
“I still have residents coming up to me to this day saying how
grateful they are as they now can sleep at night without having
to worry about their homes flooding, so I'm so pleased to see the
completion of this part of the project which will now give peace
of mind to the residents of Prestatyn.”
As well as protecting the area from flooding, the scheme helped
employment in the region during the construction phase as 85% of
local employment used was sourced from within 40 miles of the
work site and 99% of local subcontractor spend was within those
40 miles. The work created 8 new jobs and over 190 days of work
experience was provided for local people. Over 110 students
engaged with the scheme through curriculum activities. The scheme
saw environmental benefits also, with 80% of rock revetment
materials used being sourced locally and 99% of the waste created
was diverted from landfill.
The Prestatyn scheme is part of the Welsh Government's wider £291
million CRMP investment, which will fund a total of 15 coastal
defence projects across Wales once completed, protecting
approximately 14,000 properties nationwide.
Notes to editors
• The CRMP was announced by Ministers in December 2014. It
supplements the core flood programme, supporting investment in
Local Authority capital schemes and helps address a significant
funding gap in addressing the recommendations in the Shoreline
Management Plans. It provides the opportunity for a three-year
focussed period of investment on coastal risk.
• Welsh Government have paid 100% of the development costs for
CRMP schemes. Construction costs are funded at 85%. Construction
funding will be provided through revenue funding provided to the
local authority over the next 25 years.
• The programme consists of 15 schemes across 8 local authorities
which when complete will reduce risk to almost 14,000 properties
