Residents will soon be able to view important proposals for the future Pentre Flood Alleviation Scheme. It will invest in further, major flood alleviation work – building on the significant measures already carried out since Storm Dennis.
The village of Pentre was one of the hardest-hit communities during the unprecedented rainfall of Storm Dennis in February 2020. Major work has since taken place to alleviate future flood risk, and a summary of what has been completed over the last three years is included below. A Section 19 report under the Flood and Water Management Act, published in July 2021, has also helped understand the causes of the flooding in the community.
The Pentre Flood Alleviation Scheme will be a phased project over a number of years, to further protect households and the community. The Council will hold its four-week consultation from Monday, June 19, to Monday, July 17.
Residents will have the opportunity to find out more about a preferred option which is currently being developed for the scheme. Subject to funding, the Pentre Flood Alleviation Scheme will be a multi-million pound investment in local infrastructure, capturing rainwater from the upper catchments of Pentre and directing it through a newly-located culvert system at ground level.
The Council has appointed external consultants RPS to host the consultation process, and a dedicated homepage will include a ‘virtual space’ that takes residents through each stage of the proposals. It will also allow residents to have their say via a survey. The consultation will be accessible here.
There will also be two local events, held at Canolfan Pentre, where residents can attend to find out more and have their say in person. These will take place on Thursday, June 29, and Friday, June 30 – times will be confirmed soon.
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, said: “The future Pentre Flood Alleviation Scheme will make a further, significant investment in local flood defences for the village, on top of the major works activity to date. The Council has published all 19 of its Section 19 reports following Storm Dennis to investigate the causes of flooding in our communities – and Pentre was the first area we focused on. It has helped us understand what happened and what can be done to reduce the flood risk if a similar event occurred.
“The future scheme will aim to develop and deliver a programme of flood alleviation measures over a number of years, in accordance with relevant guidance. Our appointed consultant has analysed several possible options for the scheme, through a technical and economic appraisal. A preferred option has been identified through this process, and it is now being developed.
“The upcoming consultation will allow the public to see what is being proposed and review details of the preferred option. We are still in the very early stages of the overall scheme, and this consultation is taking place even before any funding application has been made. The feedback that is received in this process will be important to inform the scheme going forward, so I’d urge local residents to take part online, or in person at one of the community events.”
The following activity has taken place in Pentre since Storm Dennis:
- Surveyed around 3.2km of ordinary watercourses and 5.5km of surface water drainage infrastructure. This has been mapped and reviewed, resulting in targeted cleansing and repairs. Around 600 tonnes of debris have been cleared from assets following Storm Dennis.
- Completed a business case for the Upper Rhondda Strategic Flood Risk Area, which has included a pilot project to identify and complete a number of ‘quick win’ schemes to manage the local flood risk which has supported the delivery of advanced works following storm Dennis.
- Completed significant work at the Pentre Road inlet – this major work was in collaboration with Natural Resources Wales. It undertook work to ‘Build Back Better’ the culvert inlet along Pentre Road, with the focus on debris control and overflow structures embedded into the project.
- Completed an overland flow interception scheme in Pentre Road –installing several additional drainage structures aimed at intercepting and mitigating any potential overland flow from the Pentre Road inlet area.
- Completed an overflow structure next to Lewis Street and Pleasant Street – installing and over-land flow control route which aims to mitigate flows generated by ordinary watercourse manholes within Lower Pentre.
- Completed a flood routing scheme at Pentre Park – targeting an upgrade to an ordinary watercourse culvert, through the installation of a large catchpit manhole, to reduce the risk of debris entering the culvert.
- Completed surface water overflow connection at Lewis Street with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water –constructing a high-level overflow to increase the capacity of the highway drainage infrastructure.
- Completed an upgrade to an overflow manhole in Volunteer Street – upgrading an ordinary watercourse manhole that overflows into a nearby pumping station. This has maximised the capacity of the existing infrastructure and provides resilience to the pumping station.
- Completed repairs to existing ordinary watercourse manholes at several locations, following the identification of storm damage. Several ordinary watercourse manholes have been repaired and enhanced.
- Highway drainage repairs across the community of Pentre, to infrastructure that became blocked and damaged during Storm Dennis. This aimed to reinstate the highway drainage infrastructure’s capacity.
- Completed structural rehabilitation works to ordinary watercourse culverts through Pentre. Advanced works was completed that delivered structural rehabilitation of several of the ordinary watercourse culverts. This aimed to reduce the risk of future structural failure of the networks.
Posted on 12/06/2023