Agenda item

To receive the report of the Service Director of Frontline Services.

The Service Director presented the report of the Group Director Prosperity Development and Frontline Services which provided Members with an update on progress on Flood Alleviation measures and associated work on infrastructure since Storm Dennis.

The Service Director advised that a Power Point presentation would accompany the report which provided an overview of some of the many improvements undertaken since Storm Dennis such as over £3.5M spent in delivering maintenance works to coal spoil tips across RCT and on the emergency works to the slip at Tylorstown, over £4M was spent on repairing damage to structures and drainage networks and almost £2.3M was spent on new Flood Alleviation Schemes.

The Service Director commented that a report to Cabinet on the 21^st September 2021 had considered increasing resources towards flood awareness and enforcement and had recommended the adoption of the regulation, awareness and enforcement of flood and water legislation by the Council following Storm Dennis. He added that in parallel with this report a Members’ briefing in respect of Flood Risk Management and Byelaws had been held and was well attended. He advised that, as alluded to by the Service Director Democratic Services & Communications, a report in respect of the byelaws will be presented to the October Council.

The Service Director Frontline Services delivered his Power Point presentation which showed the various schemes with the use of photographs including the emergency control room established in Ty Elai in the event of any emergency event.

Following the presentation Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions and did so in relation to the following:

Ø  Should the Council be responsible where its infrastructure failed because historically it had not been maintained in the run up to the floods? Do the pre flood records determine how fragile those infrastructures are?

Ø  Are any of the insurance claims submitted on the basis of negligence on behalf of the Council?

Ø  As set out in the report to Council, what is the final report relating to Campbell Terrace culvert and who was it reported to?

Ø  Is there a third phase to be implemented in Bronallt Terrace in Abercwmboi?

Ø  Is there an update on the works at the advanced works at the Glenboi pumping station?

Ø  What is the latest from NRW regarding the review of river flooding in the ward?

Ø  Self-help and local measures-Is there further information available regarding which properties have and have not been offered flood gates as there seems to be inconsistency?

Ø  Emergency Planning Community Response – what are the timescales for confirming the draft plan and list of potential premises?

Ø  Is there a timetable confirming the remaining Section 19 Reports?

Ø  The report states that further inspections are being commissioned for the wall along Berw Road, can you give us timescales for the inspections as although the wall has been repaired, there are still concerns that the wall is not working as a defence?

The Leader of the Council and Service Director Frontline Services provided the following responses:

The culvert at Bronallt Terrace in Abercwmboi are phase two works with phase three at the feasibility and design stage. There is no timescale in place as yet but depends on the make -up of the land and its suitability.

Members were advised that with regards to the flood gates, the list of properties who received WG/LA grant funding was cross referenced with WG and NRW records to create one comprehensive list from which all affected properties were contacted. Following the correspondence, approximately 50% of properties responded. A third follow-up letter has recently been circulated which will be followed up with a door-knocking exercise to those properties. In Pentre, despite a door-knocking exercise some properties did not sign up at all to the floodgates.

It was confirmed that the Emergency Plan has been updated and will be circulated to all members of the Council.

A number of the Section 19 reports are in the last stages of completion prior to publication over the next few weeks. Where the Local Authority is not the flood risk management authority, a consultation process with partners needs to be undertaken and lots of work is required for the Section 19 reports to be written and published.

The Service Director Frontline Services provided updates on the Glenboi pumping station and on Campbell Terrace as well as the NRW review of river flooding at Taffs Well and he advised that through the Flood Board the Local Authority meets regularly with NRW and Welsh Water. NRW has indicated that they have completed their surveys on the lower Taff up towards Pontypridd and have developed an updated Fluvial Flood Model for the river. They will now be considering the implications of the information they have gathered through surveys to the lower part of the Taff.

The Service Director commented that all Councils are facing similar issues with regards to liability and investment matters but advised that RCT has made considerable investment through the various initiatives as set out in the report. In terms of the infrastructure, the highway drainage is designed for a 1 in a 30-year storms and what was experienced was in excess of that.

Further questions were asked:

Ø  Significant works were undertaken on the culverts in Cae Felin Park in Hirwaun although there is no mention of this or Hirwaun in the appendices, does this mean no repairs were required? Do we have a date for the Section 19 report for Hirwaun?

Ø  Can there be an update for works in Heath Terrace in Ynyshir?

Ø  The Local Authority’s Section 19 Pentre report was critical of NRW and recommendations were subsequently published but NRW have refused to take responsibility for their part. Residents deserve to be compensated, who is responsible and who will compensate the residents in Pentre?

Ø  The northern areas of the Rhondda Fawr have been badly affected, can you tell us what measures the council is introducing to mitigate the impact of the future weather events, in particular the area of road outside the old Llwynypia hospital site?

Ø  The Trehafod scheme is not currently allocated to a particular funding stream, in view of it being pluvial flooding that caused the 43 properties in Trehafod to flood, can you advise of any other improvements in the area that may reduce future flooding while we wait for the discussions for the pumping station to be resolved?

Members were assured that there are other areas of work and other interventions being undertaken across the county borough albeit not contained within the current report to Council.

As the majority of flooding in Cae Felin Park, Hirwaun derived from the river,

responsibility lays with NRW as the Risk Management Authority (RMA) with powers to manage flood risk from main rivers, therefore the final report for the Hirwaun area will be a flood investigation report with NRW and consulted as the FRMA.

The Leader of the Council and the Service Director responded to the questions individually.

With regards to the Section 19 report regarding Pentre, there had been a robust session including Mr Gareth O’Shea from NRW at the Overview & Scrutiny Committee recently. The Service Director Frontline Services advised that in terms of responsibility, the Council as lead local flood authority responsible for producing the S19 report, had recommended that NRW review their forest practices as the main source of flooding in the initial flood was due to a blockage by woody materials including brash, at the Pentre Road culvert inlet. He added that within this report, as the Local Flood Management Authority, the Council, proposes a number of actions to reduce the risk of an occurrence such as this happening again.

Further questions were raised in relation to:

Ø  How are discussions developing with NRW on the works to the Treforest Industrial Estate?

Ø  Does the local authority understand why residents are reluctant to take up the offer of flood gates, is it related to issues of liability?

Ø   Do WG understand the scale to which they need to step up their support to local government in terms of flood alleviation schemes?

Ø  Will the Brook Street wall in Britannia be progressed as soon as possible so as to assure residents that measure to control and reduce the risk of flooding will be reduced in Britannia?

Ø  Are we targeting specific inlets with regards to the remote cameras?

All the questions were responded to by the Leader and Service Director Frontline Services such as with regards to the bids to Welsh Government, the Leader confirmed that nearly every bid submitted has been approved but the availability of contractors to deliver the work is proving problematic as the scale of the work is unprecedented. He assured Members that information regarding the flood gates and feedback from the door knocking exercise would be provided to Members at a later date as with information regarding Tuberville Road.

The Service Director Frontline Services acknowledged some work had been undertaken by NRW in Treforest Industrial Estate to repair and protect the flood protection measures alongside the river in the area and also de-shoaling the river. Following completion of the surveys, the lower Taff model is being developed to evaluate risk and to consider whether further measures will be identified to improve resilience to flooding in the area.

Members were reminded that any Members with further questions should email the Leader for a response.

Following discussions and questions put to the Leader and lead officer, it was RESOLVED to note the content of the report, the significant progress made to date and the extensive pipeline of alleviation, repair and enhancement work ahead.