Campaign group question blocked drains’ role in town’s flooding

Stephen Price

A campaign group has questioned the role played by blocked drains in a Welsh town’s recent flooding.

Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, which was created by a group of bereaved families during the pandemic, and has continued calls for Wales’ role to be fully scrutinised in a public inquiry.

Since then, they have expanded their remit to include other concerns – and with family members resident in Abergavenny, which was recently hit by unprecedented flooding in inland areas away from the usual at-risk zones near the Usk and Gavenny rivers, they have shared their thoughts on X.

Sharing an image of a blocked drain to X, the group wrote: “So much for @Eluned_Morgan @WelshGovernment resilience planning for severe weather (7 Oct 2025)

“Every single drain was blocked & overgrown all the way up the Old Monmouth Road, Abergavenny, near my mums, a few weeks ago.

“Earlier yesterday the council attempted to unblock one but left all the debris behind so it got swept into the drain and blocked it again!

“They simply cannot be surprised by the severe flooding in Abergavenny yesterday (worst for 40 years) when they failed to undertake even the most basic mitigations.

“Expect the same ineptitude in health & social care winter planning in Wales too.

So much for @Eluned_Morgan @WelshGovernment resilience planning for severe weather (7 Oct 2025)
Every single drain was blocked & overgrown all the way up the Old Monmouth Road, Abergavenny, near my mums, a few weeks ago. Earlier yesterday the council attempted to unblock one but… https://t.co/3xVJfgwZus pic.twitter.com/dQvxkjVBx9

— Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru (@cymru_inquiry) November 15, 2025

In another post showing vegetation growing from a blocked drain, they wrote, tongue in cheek: “Bingo – the reason the road drains in Wales aren’t being unblocked is because it’s all part of the  @WelshGovernment rewilding scheme!

“The plan is for these triffid like plants to spread their tentacles over all roads in Wales rendering them unusable.

“Let’s hold a competition for the prettiest flowering drain in Wales.”

Bingo – the reason the road drains in Wales aren’t being unblocked is because it’s all part of the @WelshGovernment rewilding scheme! The plan is for these triffid like plants to spread their tentacles over all roads in Wales rendering them unusable. Let’s hold a competition for… https://t.co/tpQu6QUOG2 pic.twitter.com/CHimCSPRFA

— Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru (@cymru_inquiry) November 15, 2025

Brecon Road, Pen y Pound, Frogmore Street, Ross Road and Monmouth Road were particularly impacted by the flooding, along with areas along the Usk.

Residents have questioned how so many inland areas were hit, however, with Ross Road’s drains also said to have ‘backed up’ with sewage water and residents often complaining about the smell even during normal weather conditions.

Ross Road was completely impassable on Friday 14 November, unrelated to any river rising, but worst hit was Brecon Road which resulted in a number of businesses having to close on Friday and over the weekend.

An Abergavenny resident who lives near the Plas Derwen pub which is currently undergoing renovations, shared: “My house was completely landlocked during the flooding, and it was completely preventable.

“Friends near Pen y Fal also shared how the roads were knee deep and running like river, with water backing up from the sewers and drains which weren’t just suffering from leaf litter, but compacted silt, mud and stones.”

Referring to the council’s plans to build hundreds of new homes near the Hardwick roundabout, they added: “It beggars belief that there are plans to build even more homes in the town, when we can’t function as it stands.

“They’ve built up Llanfoist, Llantilio Pertholey, and now they’re at it in Govilon – every angle they can for homes locals have continuously said the town and its facilities can’t cope with, but they carry on regardless.”

The 500 home site east of the Heads of Valleys Road will require bridges over the A465 and the railway line, and Cllr Griffiths said the estimated £5m cost has been included in promoter Monmouthshire Housing Association’s viability calculations.