Tirfounder Road - Bro Deg Flood Alleviation Scheme

Scheme Background

The community of Cwmbach is noted as the 122nd most at risk community for both surface water and ordinary watercourse flood risk in Wales according to the Communities at Risk Register (CaRR) which was developed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to provide an objective means of identifying risk and prioritising flood risk management activities at a Wales-wide, community level.

The area of Tirfounder Road and Bro Deg in Cwmbach has been subject to several flooding events in recent years, with the primary source of flood risk in the area considered to be from surface water and ordinary watercourses. The most recent events, Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis which occurred in February 2020, caused internal flooding to 17 commercial and 4 residential properties across Maeshyfryd, Tirfounder Road and Canal Road.

The primary cause of flooding during both events was a result of debris being carried downstream and blocking the unnamed watercourse channel and associated culvert inlet and network, leading to exceedance flows conveying overland along the highway networks towards properties and businesses. Following the storm event, several sections of the unnamed watercourse were identified as heavily scoured, thus increasing the risk of blockages downstream.

Proposed Scheme Objectives

• Reduce risk to life by reducing the number of people exposed to risk of flooding of significant depth and velocity.
• Reduce community disruption by reducing the amount of residential and commercial property exposed to flood risk.
• No detriment to downstream receiving River/Watercourse
• Improve community resilience to flood events and climate change promoting sustainability and wellbeing.
• Deliver a preferred option that works with natural processes and promotes green infrastructure.
• Enhance local biodiversity and support the resilience of ecosystems services.
• Improve the resilience of flood risk assets against climate change - Promoting Accessibility and Low Maintenance requirements.
• Reduce the impact of climate change - mitigating the extent of the projects carbon footprint.
• Improve Community Wellbeing through the enhancement of local amenity.

Proposed Scheme Description

The Council proposes to carry out land drainage improvement works to an unnamed ordinary watercourse that originates east of Bro Deg in Cwmbach and conveys to its outfall within the River Cynon.

The works are intended to repair the ordinary watercourse channel via scour protection and debris control measures. These measures aim to stabilise and repair the watercourse channel and embankments, minimising scour and sediment transportation towards the lower inlet structure and reducing the risk of blockage flooding within the culvert inlet and barrel. These improvement works will reduce the risk of surface water and ordinary watercourse flooding in an area which is considered at high risk of flooding.

The scheme also seeks to maintain a critical transport route, specifically the A4059 (Canal Road) roundabout, which is essential to the connectivity between Cwmbach and Aberdare. By undertaking these works, the frequency and impact of future flooding events will be reduced, improving long-term community resilience.

Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) Regulations 1999 Notice

The Council does not intend to prepare an environmental statement in respect of the proposed improvement works. With reference to Schedule 2 of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) Regulations 1999, the reasons for not intending to prepare an environment statement are that, considering the characteristics of the improvement works, the environmental sensitivity of geographical areas likely to be affected by the improvement works and the type and characteristics of the potential impact on the environment of the improvement works, it is considered that the proposed works will not have a significant effect on the environment. A notice for these works was served on the 29th of August 2024. A copy of the notice can be viewed here: EIA(LDIW)R 1999 Notice - Trifounder Bro Deg FAS.