Welsh Conservatives set out plans for ‘national flood agency’

Kay Brading 

The Welsh Conservatives have set out plans to establish a “national flood agency” if they ever come to power, as the country braces for Storm Darragh.

A rare red alert for wind, which warns of significant disruption and a “danger to life”, has been issued by forecasters this weekend for the Welsh coast.

An amber wind alert has also been issued for towns further inland along with a yellow weather alert for heavy downpours.

It comes as residents and businesses recover from the devastation caused by Storm Bert less than two weeks ago.

Landslide

Between 200 and 300 properties in Rhondda Cynon Taf were flooded during the extreme weather event which also caused a landslide in a south Wales mining community.

Local council leader Andrew Morgan said the weather was worse than forecast and he was “amazed” only a yellow weather warning had been issued.

Residents in Pontypridd say they didn’t receive flood warnings until their homes were already taking in water.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it had issued flood warnings before the downpour but there was “no silver bullet” to managing the flood risk in the area around the River Taff.

With the ground still saturated from Storm Bert, there are warnings that Storm Darragh will bring more flooding this weekend.

Flood risk

NRW is the Welsh Government sponsored body focussed on tackling the climate, nature and pollution emergencies.

It employs around 1900 staff members across Wales with a budget of £180 million.

As well as ensuring that the natural resources of Wales are sustainably maintained, the body is also responsible for managing flood risk.

The Welsh Conservatives say NRW’s team isn’t big enough to manage the risk of flooding during extreme weather events in Wales effectively.

The Tory Senedd group have pledged to roll out a “Welsh Flood Agency” to co-ordinate flood risk management and respond to flooding events, if they ever lead government in Wales.

‘Devastation’

Shadow climate change minister Janet Finch Saunders said: “The flood warnings for this weekend will be deeply concerning for residents and businesses across Wales still recovering from the devastation caused by Storm Bert.

“Given the previous short notice of weather warnings during Storm Bert, I urge councils across Wales to take swift action to ensure that at-risk homes and businesses are fully prepared.

“Of the around 2,000 staff at NRW, around 300 have some responsibility for flooding. The people of Wales deserve better. We need a team which is 100% focused on flooding.”

The Tories say their flood agency would take on “all the flood related responsibilities of NRW” and oversee Wales’ ordinary watercourses.

Mrs Finch Saunders said: “NRW are responsible for main rivers. Everything else is an ordinary watercourse which sees responsibilities rest with thousands of private landowners.

“However, in addition to many individuals being unaware of their responsibilities, there are sections of ordinary watercourses where the owner of the land is unknown, meaning that no action is being taken at all.

“This can mean that obstructions are left unaddressed in watercourses, and as such the risk of flooding left to increase.”

The Aberconwy MS says she once worked on case with Conwy County Borough Council to identify the riparian landowners for the southern side of an ordinary watercourse.

The owner was tracked down and made aware of their responsibilities. This led to numerous trees removed to reduce the risk of obstructions falling into the watercourse.

However, no action could be taken on the northern side of the watercourse, opposite, because the landowner was not known nor registered with HM Land Registry.

Responsibilities

Mrs Finch Saunders said: “I would be pleased to see the Flood Agency leading a campaign to improve riparian owners’ awareness of their responsibilities.

“It would also put a support system in place which identifies and assists riparian owners who are not fulfilling their responsibilities, and steps in where no owner is known.”

The Welsh Conservatives offer of an alternative policy could mark the start of a new strategy for the Senedd group under new leader Darren Millar.

The Clwyd West MS was elected unopposed after a rebellion by seven Tory MSs saw Andrew RT Davies removed from his leadership role on Tuesday.

Millar says he is aiming to be the first Conservative First Minister at the 2026 Senedd election.

A new Senedd voting intention poll saw the Tories slip to fourth place as many of their voters look at switching their vote to Reform UK in a Welsh election.