Alyn & Deeside FLOODING Report 2021 Jack Sargeant MS February 2021 Thank you to all the local residents who have contributed to this report either through contacting me directly or meeting with me during my visit to areas affected. I also want to thank individual residents, emergency workers and local businesses for their action at the time of the flood and in the aftermath. Their commitment to their local communities is truly inspiring. Jack Sargeant MS Member of the Senedd for Alyn & Deeside 01244 823 547 @JackSargeantAM @JackSargeantMS [email protected] Alyn & Deeside FLOODING Report 2021 1.1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction I have been contacted by a number of understandably 1.2 Residents in touch distraught residents whose lives have been turned upside down by flooding in the middle of a global 2.0 Flooding pandemic. These residents live in Sandycroft, Pentre, Overview Mancot and Broughton. 2.1 Sandycroft/Pentre 2.2 Mancot Devastatingly, this is the second time many of these 2.3 Broughton residents have been flooded in the last 18 months. Residents have come to me for assistance and have 3.0 Causes shared the true consequences of flooding , not just 3.1 Drainage the physical damage but the huge emotional toll it has 3.2 Ditches taken on their families, particularly their children. Such 3.3 Development trauma is extremely difficult to recover from and it is important that action is taken quickly to provide the 4.1 Mental Health & residents with the peace of mind we all deserve. Wellbeing 4.2 Communication This report is a platform to amplify the voices of residents in describing the action needed to actions I wholeheartedly support. 5.0 Government Response 1.2 Residents in touch 6.0 Recommendations Immediately after the floods hit we received a significant volume of emails, calls and social media 7.0 Conclusion messages from individual constituents. The issues were a combination of requests for immediate support in respect of a range of issues including accessing emergency support and concerns about upcoming rainfall. They were not limited with this and some residents shared examples of significant traumatic impact which I can share separately but do not want to breach confidences so will not share in this report. I visited the affected areas in the aftermath of the flooding and am holding individual meetings where requested. 2.0 Overview of Flooding 2.1 Sandycroft/Pentre Church View, Hamilton Avenue and surrounding areas saw extreme flooding for the second time in 18 months, the first occasion being in June 2019. Multiple homes were completely flooded and residents were left without any real protection against the water despite the previous flooding. This is an extremely low lying area and there are relatively few physical barriers to stop the flooding. No water pump was available. Residents have previously reported that the drainage systems are not adequate and that significant work needs to be done to bring nearby ditches into an acceptable state. Station Road, Sandycroft 2.2 Mancot Houses on Hawarden Way, Leeches Lane and Chester Road were particularly affected by the flooding in Mancot as the water flows down the hill, predominantly via Ash Lane, Leeches Lane and Hawarden Way. All three of these roads are categorised as surface water flood risks and it is these roads which lead down to Sandycroft, the area which is often most badly affected. Gardens were also flooded higher up in the village at Park Avenue. Residents have raised concerns about this on numerous occasions, particularly in the summer of 2019 when similar flooding was experienced in these areas. There is also significant concern locally about the inclusion of land at the top of the hill on Ash Lane in the Local Development Plan for a proposed development of more than 280 houses. As well as being located at the top of the hill in Mancot, the land is already categorised as a surface water flood risk. Residents are concerned that such a large development will increase the likelihood of further flooding. (Source for flood risk: Natural Resources Wales) 2.3 Broughton Forest Drive and Marlwood Place in Broughton were heavily impacted by Storm Christoph, numerous households were flooded. As has been stated above, this is the second time in 18 months Broughton has been impacted by flooding. Residents did not feel adequate emergency protection was in place and there was confusion about how to access such things as sand bags. “We have also been 3.0 Causes dismayed at all the trees 3.1 Drainage that have recently been chopped down by the 2 The drainage simply does not have the capacity to cope in heavy rainfall. This has been highlighted for sisters food group. some time by residents and no solution has been found. Until a solution is found to the drainage, Not only do they provide flooding will continue to happen. Even more a sound barrier and use immediately the lack of an emergency pump was a much needed water significant problem. there is also the loss of Additionally there is significant demand on drainage Habitat.” in the area. A resident has been in touch to draw my attention to this: “The Environmental Review 2020 from the 2 Sisters and the increase of water to 9.52 - Sandycroft Resident litres/bird x 1.5 million birds is a huge amount of water going into an already overburdened system.” He goes on to say “We have also been dismayed at all the trees that have recently been chopped down by the 2 sisters food group. Not only do they provide a sound barrier and use much needed water there is also the loss of Habitat.” 3.2 Ditches Some of these ditches are council maintained and some sit on private land. The land owners have a clear duty to properly maintain them. I have established that the council do have a register of owners but I am not clear if they have been contacted to set out their responsibilities and if support is offered. This clearly should not become a protracted conversation and what is important is that the ditches are maintained. Moore Lane, Deeside I have been contacted by an RC Jones of Pentre who has lived in the area since at least 1961, he says that ditches have been allowed to fill with silt. He specifically mentions the access manhole on the Coop car park and the need to pressure hose the pipe runs. Mr Jones talks about the need to establish more ditches in fields adjacent to the roads and the need to plant more trees. Duckers Lane, Mancot 3.3 Development A number of residents have contacted me about the impact of over development. There is significant evidence that increased use of concrete and tarmac leads to surface water problems and can exasperate flooding. A resident got in touch to describe the accompanying “extensive tarmacking and accompanying surface run off as adding to the problem.” There are currently applications for future development in place. Any future development that passes planning must ensure that appropriate surrounding infrastructure, including drainage and ditches is already in place. 4.0 Mental Health “Me, my husband and 3 children moved in to our & Wellbeing forever home 5 year’s ago. I have heard from a number of residents about their We can no longer think of fears and concerns about the impact of the flooding, this as our forever home. This how water came into their properties and rose so is due to the severe flooding quickly that they had to rush to leave their homes. we experience in Hamilton This is particularly worrying for some older residents, Avenue, twice in only 18 some disabled residents and those with young months my home has been children. only centimetres away from being ruined. Now, whenever there is heavy rain, there is naturally increased anxiety and fear of further flooding. I believe that it is important that these issues are It’s extremely frustrating addressed through practical measures as well as & upsetting because this rebuilding confidence in the community particularly flooding is unnecessary and amongst the more vulnerable. avoidable if action was taken to address the drainage 4.2 Communication Barriers issues. We know it’s only a matter of time before many Some residents have complained about failure of more homes are ruined communication from authorities and the way the including my own and we availability of sandbags was communicated. This can’t stay here waiting for it led to some residents in houses that have previously to happen. been impacted by flooding not being able to access support. It would put a lot of minds at ease if this was sorted out once and for all.” - Resident of Hamilton Avenue Alyn & Deeside GovernmentFLOODING response Response to Jack from Welsh Government Will the Minister make a statement on the impact of storm Christoph in Mancot, Sandycroft and surrounding communities? Minister Response: Thank you. Unfortunately, homes have been flooded as a result of storm Christoph throughout Flintshire, with early investigations recognising four properties in Sandycroft were affected. Representatives from the local authority, Natural Resources Wales and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water will meet again this week to understand causes and discuss if improvements can be made collaboratively. Minister, thank you for that answer. Now, I was recently contacted by distraught residents, asking me to come and see the impact of the recent flooding and what that has done to their daily lives in Sandycroft, Mancot and the surrounding areas. Now, I visited in clear and good conscience as their elected representative, and it was clear to me that that was the very least thing I could do.