Work is continuing at pace to deliver further flood alleviation measures across Rhondda Cynon Taf communities, through a joint £6 million investment with Welsh Government that covers the current financial year, 2025/26.
This is on top of the more than £30 million investment that has helped improve culverts and other drainage infrastructure since Storm Dennis in 2020. During this period, around £70 million repairs and upgrades have also been made to structures like bridges, walls and culverts, that were damaged in storm events.
It is important to note that while the Council works collaboratively with other risk management authorities, the Local Authority is the responsible risk management authority for highway, surface water, ordinary watercourse and groundwater flooding – classified as local sources. The responsibility for sewer flooding sits with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, and responsibility for river flooding is with Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Residents should be assured that the Council continues to lobby NRW to improve existing river flood defences, particularly at key locations with a recent history of flooding.
Work to deliver flood alleviation measures for local sources of risk continues throughout the summer, taking advantage of the better weather.
For example, work started in recent weeks on a flood resilience scheme at Turberville Road (Ynyshir), along with repairs to a river wall off the A4058 (Porth), local drainage works off Penrhys Road (Ystrad), and culvert improvements at the Dan y Cribyn estate (Ynysybwl). An important highway drainage scheme at B4278 Gilfach Road in Tonyrefail also got underway in June 2025, focusing on a 200-metre stretch of this road.
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, said: “One of the Council’s top priorities is to deliver further flood alleviation measures in our communities, in response to the threat of more frequent and intense storm events brought about by climate change. More than £6 million is secured across three Welsh Government funding programmes for the current year, and we’re making important progress this summer to deliver projects on the ground. Since 2020, we have spent over £100 million to improve flood resilience and repair damage caused by flooding.
“Evidence so far suggests that our investment over the past five years, including the delivery of more than 100 local schemes, is working. More than 105mm of rain fell in a relatively short period of time during the latest large storm event on February 23, 2025 – during which Council-maintained assets performed well. We were also able to deploy resources early thanks to early warnings from the Met Office, something which we’ve pushed strongly for.
“Residents can be assured that our investment in this area will continue – from seeking new funding to developing and delivering targeted schemes.”
Posted on 15/07/2025