The Welsh Government has announced a record-breaking
£85m investment in flood and coastal erosion risk management
for this year - the highest annual allocation ever
delivered in Wales.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change
and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, confirmed the funding
during a visit to a scheme at Rover Way in Cardiff,
where major construction work is underway to strengthen coastal
defences.
This latest allocation builds on more than £377m committed
to flood risk management during this Senedd term - the
highest level of investment in flooding ever delivered in
Wales.
For 2026/27, more than £85m will be made
available to Risk Management Authorities
across Wales, including almost £43m in capital
funding for new schemes to protect communities at risk. A
full breakdown and map of projects will be published on the Welsh
Government website.
Speaking from the Rover Way site, where a £35.2m coastal
defence project is being delivered by
Cardiff Council, the Deputy First Minister said:
“We have delivered record investment in flood and coastal
erosion risk management because protecting people, homes and
businesses is crucial.
“This year's £85million of funding is the
highest annual investment Wales has ever seen.
“It will fund new schemes right across the
country, maintain vital infrastructure, and help
communities adapt to the increasing impacts of climate
change.
“At Rover Way you can see this investment in action.
Strengthening defences, protecting thousands
of properties and supporting skilled
jobs - while we continue to build long-term resilience
for communities across Wales.”
The Rover Way scheme includes large-scale rock revetment, earth
embankments, sheet piling and erosion protection along
the coastline.
Once complete, it will reduce the risk of coastal flooding to
2,326 residential and 204 non-residential properties over the
next 100 years. The Welsh Government has provided 85% of the
construction funding and fully funded development costs.
The scheme at Rover Way is part of the Coastal Risk Management
Programme (CRMP). The CRMP programme as a whole
represents £291m of concentrated investment over five
years. When complete, it will have delivered 15 schemes across
Wales, improving protection for almost 14,000 properties.
Alongside major capital schemes, more than £7.4m will be
provided through the Small Scale Works Grant, enabling
local authorities to deliver 106 local projects next year.
These smaller schemes often use local contractors, supporting
jobs and regional economies while delivering practical
improvements to existing infrastructure.
Revenue funding will also continue to support the essential
day-to-day work of Risk Management Authorities and the Wales
Coastal Monitoring Centre, ensuring assets are maintained,
warnings are issued, specialist staff are employed and
high-quality data underpins decision-making.
An additional £5.26m will support 35 Natural Flood
Management projects across Wales, delivering interventions such
as tree planting, leaky dams and habitat restoration.
These will reduce flood risk for more than 3,300 properties
while boosting nature and people's wellbeing.
During the visit, the Deputy First Minister also met trainees and
apprentices and confirmed a £0.5 million external workforce
development programme to strengthen specialist flood and coastal
skills across Wales over the next three years.
Notes to editors
The full breakdown of the 2026/ 27 schemes will be published at
9am Friday 27 February:
https://www.gov.wales/flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-programme-2026-2027
