Welsh Government has announced it has allocated over £4.8m to Rhondda Cynon Taf across two key funding programmes for flood alleviation in 2023/24 – complementing the Council’s own significant investment in this area.

The Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS, confirmed on Tuesday (April 25) that Rhondda Cynon Taf will receive around £3.82m over the next year through the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management programme – subject to the appropriate permitting, development permissions and approval of business cases to proceed. The Council will also receive £1.003m through the Small Scale Works Grant programme.

These are grants allocated for targeted flood alleviation schemes, many of which are being met by a 15% contribution from the Council’s 2023/24 Capital Programme. The list of schemes to benefit from this investment is included at the bottom of this update. The Council’s own Capital Programme, agreed in March 2023, allocates £750,000 for Drainage/Flood Risk improvements.

The funding announced on Tuesday is separate to the £20.1m programme (for 2023/24) to repair local infrastructure that was damaged by Storm Dennis. The Council has also bid for Resilient Roads funding for 2023/24 and is awaiting the funding announcement from Welsh Government.

Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, said: “I welcome the continued support from Welsh Government towards one of the Council’s key investment priorities, to improve the resilience to flooding in response to Climate Change. The £4.8m funding is an increased amount for 2023/24 in comparison to last year, and the Council will provide 15% contributions for many of the schemes – so the overall investment in this area is even bigger.

“The Council is also working with Welsh Government to deliver the £20.1m Storm Dennis infrastructure repairs over the next year – which will progress key schemes across the County Borough, including the Castle Inn Bridge replacement in Treforest, Berw Road (White Bridge) in Pontypridd, Tynybryn Footbridge in Tonyrefail and Feeder Pipe Footbridge in Abercynon.

“Tuesday’s funding confirmation will help the Council continue to progress its accelerated programme of flood alleviation investment, with around 100 local schemes identified and more than half of these already delivered. It was also pleasing to see in Welsh Government’s announcement that important funding is also allocated for flood defence schemes by Natural Resources Wales – which is responsible for our main rivers – in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area.”

The Council schemes identified in Tuesday’s funding announcement by Welsh Government are listed below:

Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management programme*

Abertonllwyd Road, Treherbert (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £150,000)
Afon Cynon/Wellington Street FAS, Aberdare (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £85,000)
Arfyn Terrace, Tylorstown (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £150,000)
Cefnpennar Road, Mountain Ash FAS (Business Justification Case/Outline Business Case, £35,000)
Cwmaman Phase 2 (construction of scheme, £352,750)
Cwmbach Canal FAS (construction of scheme, £30,000)
Glenboi pumping station (construction of scheme, £182,696)
Gwernifor and Kingcraft Street, Mountain Ash (construction of scheme, £442,000).
Maes y Fynnon FAS, Aberaman (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £100,000)
Nant Gwawr, Aberaman (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £150,000)
Oaklands Terrace, Cilfynydd (Business Justification Case/Outline Business Case, £32,525)
Peat Bogs restoration, unknown/various (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £75,000)
Volunteer Street, Pentre (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £800,000)
Tirfounder/Bro Teg Road, Cwmbach (construction of scheme, £110,500)
Trehafod FAS (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £75,000)
Treorchy FAS Phase 2 (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £950,000)
Tuberville Road, Porth (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £100,000)

*The above funding is subject to the appropriate permitting, development permissions and approval of business cases to proceed.

Small Scale Works Grant programme

Arfyn Terrace, Tylorstown (construction of scheme, £148,750)
Baglan Street culvert relining, Treorchy (construction of scheme, £153,000)
Brook Street, Blaenrhondda (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £40,000)
Duffryn Road, Mountain Ash (construction of scheme, £89,250)
Heath Terrace central inlet, Ynyshir (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £40,000)
Jones Street culvert relining, Treorchy (construction of scheme, £140,250)
Nant Cae Dudwg inlet upgrade, Cilfynydd (construction of scheme, £63,750)
Nant y Fedw scour repair, Abercynon (construction of scheme, £136,850)
Penrhys Road, Ystrad (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £40,000)
Expansion of ordinary watercourse telemetry, various locations (construction of scheme, £25,500)
Tynywaun relining, Treherbert (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £25,000)
Victor Street, Mountain Ash (detailed design and/or Full Business Case, £25,000)
Ynyshir Road, Ynyshir (construction of scheme, £76,500)