Plans for £18million of flood defence work in East Rhyl will go on show to the public

Denbighshire County Council, supported by the Welsh Government’s Coastal Risk Management Programme, has drawn up plans to install rock armouring and increase the height of the sea wall along the promenade between Splash Point and the slipway adjacent to Rhyl Golf Club.

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Construction is expected to take 18 months and start during 2019, subject to planning permission, other necessary consents being granted and funding agreement.

Residents will have the chance to view the plans and comment on them at a drop-in session on October 11 between 10am to 8pm at the Elwy Room, Rhyl Community Fire Station.

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A further event is planned for November 8 at the same venue.

Cllr Brian Jones, Denbighshire County Council’s lead member for Highways, Planning and Sustainable Travel, said:

“Due to the low-lying nature of East Rhyl, wave overtopping remains the most serious coastal flood risk.

“Short-term resilience measures were undertaken by Denbighshire County Council following the 2013 storms and this project will provide substantial and durable protection in the long term.

“Making our communities more resilient is a priority for the Council under our Corporate Plan and once completed this work will offer a huge comfort to the community.”

Denbighshire County Council commissioned civil engineers Balfour Beatty and flood risk and environmental specialists JBA Consulting to undertake a detailed analysis of the situation to come up with the plans.

The rock armouring is being designed to dissipate the energy from storm waves so the impact on the new wall will be substantially reduced and significantly decrease the risk of flooding over the next 100 years. The design life of the scheme also includes allowances for the impacts of climate change and sea level rise.

The secondary protection from the inshore walls and flood gates along with the storm water storage and release facilities at Rhyl Golf Club will remain to provide another layer of protection for this piece of coastline.

Welsh Government minister for Environment, Hannah Blythyn, said: “Flooding and erosion can have a devastating impact on our coast, especially with the increasing threat of climate change. Our £150m coastal risk management programme demonstrates the importance Welsh Government places on reducing the risk to our coastal communities.”