Bates welcomes extra £38million to combat flooding in Wales

12.00.00am GMT Thu 18th Dec 2008

Welcoming the news that an extra £38million will be spent on coastal and flood risk management in Wales, Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates has warned that a long term, holistic approach is needed to accommodate the increasing impacts of flooding on our communities.

In the Welsh Assembly Government's formal response to the Pitt Review, the Environment Minister Jane Davidson has announced that £30m of European funding will be used along with £8m from the Assembly Government over the next five years, to invest in flood and coastal erosion risk measures across Wales.

Commenting Mick stated:

"Over the past few years we have seen clearly the impacts of climate change, with extremes in our weather and increased flooding across the country. I am pleased that the Assembly Government is taking action and making this much needed investment into coastal and flood risk management in Wales.

"However there is still much work to be done and we need a long term plan to reduce flooding across Wales, to accommodate the increasing impact of climate change and adapt accordingly.

"Land management is often a neglected aspect of flood risk management, yet it has a key role to play in the development of an integrated approach to flood management and defence. This was recognised by the Pitt Review, which concluded that current legislation is not fit to tackle this challenge and recommended that Government agencies establish a programme to achieve greater working with natural processes.

"We need a new holistic plan of action to reduce flood risk across Wales. This £38million extra in funding will be vital to support a broad approach to flood risk management and to identify new ways to manage the land in a way which will reduce the impact of future floods on our communities.

"I hope that the money will be used to support innovative projects such as Pontbren near Llanfair Caereinion and the RSPB 'LIFE' blanket bog project in Llanwyddyn, as well as encourage farmers to manage their land sustainably, in a way which benefits the environment as well as reducing the risk of flooding."

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