New £26m coastal defences completed ahead of schedule

Thousands of 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 Prestatyn will be protected by an innovative scheme which includes a new embankment to store storm surge waters and reduce the risk of them reaching the 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.

‘Catastrophic’

Deputy First Minister, with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, 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.

Rock armour

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.