Cardiff flood protection project starts

Construction of a new flood defence scheme that will protect 2,800 homes from the risk of flooding has begun, Cardiff Council said.

Spanning 1.5 kilometres along the foreshore, from Tidefields Road to the River Rhymney estuary, the £35 million scheme, the majority of which is funded by Welsh Government, will take around three years to complete and is designed to:

• protect properties from rising sea levels for the next 100 years,
• provide defence against a one-in-200-year severe weather event, including allowing for the effects of climate change.

The work will see 150,000 tonnes of rock armour protection installed along the coastline to manage erosion and high tides as well as sheet piling and maintained earth embankments along the river estuary.

“As a coastal city with three rivers running through it, it’s vital we take action now to protect homes, businesses and key infrastructure from the increased risk of flooding we will face in the future as a result of climate change,” Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Cllr Caro Wild, said.

As part of the project, improvements to the condition of the stretch of Wales Coast Path located within the boundaries of the scheme will also be made, alongside access improvements to the path.