Jack Sargeant MS calls for more Welsh Government resources to help flood hit Flintshire residents

Alyn and Deeside Senedd Member Jack Sargeant has called for more resources from the Welsh Government to “give householders some certainty about the future” following flooding across Flintshire on Friday.

Storm Babet brought an unprecedented deluge of rain on Friday, leaving some residents of Flintshire battling to keep rising flood waters from their homes.

The heavy downpour led to the closure of numerous roads and railway lines, and over 50 schools across the county were shut.

Particularly hard-hit were the areas of Sandycroft, Mancot, Broughton, Pen-y-ffordd, which are no strangers to the vulnerability to flooding.

The fire service was inundated with hundreds of calls for assistance across the county, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

The narrative of recurring floods is not new to Flintshire. In 2021, Jack Sargeant MS presented a 10-page action plan to the Welsh Government and Flintshire Council, targeting flood prevention in susceptible areas of Deeside and Flintshire.

The action plan aimed to mitigate future flooding incidents, fostering a sense of security among residents. Yet, the wrath of Storm Babet has brought to light the slow pace of progress in fortifying flood defences.

The dialogue concerning flood prevention and management extended to the Senedd on Wednesday, where Mr Sargeant sought insights from the Minister for Climate Change, Julie James, on the Welsh Government’s strategy post-Storm Babet.

The Alyn and Deeside MS called for additional resources and a joined-up approach among Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Welsh Water, and utility companies.

Speaking in the Senedd, he said: “I produced a report that called for a number of sensible steps to mitigate the possibility of future flooding.”

“Now, whilst work has taken place, it’s clear progress has not been quick enough. Responsibility lies with the local authority, with Natural Resources Wales, with Welsh Water and the utility companies, but we do need additional resources to be made available to give householders some certainty about the future.”

“Minister, we also need joined-up working from the agencies I’ve listed. How can you use your office in the ministry for climate change to ensure this happens?”

Responding to Mr Sargeant, Minister Julie James emphasised the collaborative work with NRW, water companies, and the UK Government.

She said: “We’re obviously working very closely with NRW, with the water companies, with the UK Government, actually, and with local authorities in their role as lead local flood authorities to move to both flood and coastal erosion defence and also mitigation measures.”

“As I know Jack Sargeant knows, the risk management authority—or the local council, as it’s more commonly known by people in the area—needs to put forward schemes to propose them for funding.”

Julie James said: “I know that the local council there has had a number of schemes in the pipeline between 2010 and 2018, and they have applied for a couple of small schemes since then, but we will work with them to make sure that they have got the right pipeline in place for those schemes coming forward.”

“I also want to highlight that in terms of what the community can do to help itself, Natural Resources Wales does work with local communities to get flood resilience forums going and to make sure that people are aware of how to listen for flood warnings if they’re in a flood-risk area, and then what to do to make sure that they stay out of harm.”

Flintshire-based MS Carolyn Thomas said her home was impacted by flooding, and “I couldn’t get home either to do anything about it because the train lines were flooded as well,” she said.

Ms Thomas said: “Landowners need to take responsibility. They need to make sure that their ditches and culverts are cleared. I see that fields, ditches and everything now pour onto highways, and the highway drains can’t cope—the very old Victorian infrastructure.”

“Very often, people just blame the council and expect the council to provide sandbags, but it’s not really their responsibility.”

Julie James MS said: “I’m really sorry to hear of your personal experience. I was returning from north Wales myself on Friday, and we were unable to get through quite a lot of the road network because of flooding.”

“It was a very severe storm indeed, and I want to, as I continue to say, thank the emergency services for all the work they were doing.”

“Some extremely wet public servants were out telling us where the roads were blocked and where we could go, and I know that they were there for the rest of that night.”

She said: “On our journey back from north Wales, we actually watched some of the rivers fill up—it was so fast. So, we need to make sure that we are creating more resilient communities across Wales.”

Ms James said: “This year alone, we’re investing over £74 million in flooding and coastal erosion risk management in Wales. That’s the highest ever annual spend on flood risk management in Wales to date.”

Another Flintshire-based MS Mark Isherwood said the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 is “supposed to make public bodies listed in the Act, including local authorities and Natural Resources Wales, think more about the long-term, work better with people and communities and each other, look to prevent problems and take a more joined-up approach.”

“However, a resident of Leeswood, Flintshire, emailed, ‘Although predicted, extreme rain conditions on 19 and 20 October caused flooding and distress to many, and damage to their property and livelihood.’

“One feature that is ever present is the lack of maintenance to rainwater gullies, which are typically blocked with leaves and sediment. Although this has been reported to NRW, who are responsible for this watercourse, they failed to act in any capacity.”

Mr Isherwood pointed to a housing association which has battled recurrent flooding in ground-floor flats in Mold, criticising the inadequacy of the drainage system.

He referenced a 2017 feasibility study by Flintshire County Council that proposed a long-term solution and sought government funding, which was never implemented.

Mr Isherwood said: “What is the point of the Future Generations Act if avoidable failures such as these are allowed to continue to devastate lives?”

In response Julie James said it was too early to provide a detailed account but committed to issuing a written statement post-investigation, which will delve into the efficacy of flood defences during the storm and discuss potential improvements with local authorities.