Houses should not be built on flood plains says AM

John Griffiths, Wales' Environment Minister, is visiting flood-affected Ruthin today (Thursday).

Llyr Gruffydd, North Wales Assembly Member for the Party of Wales, said: “The priority at the moment is the safety and wellbeing of everybody affected by the flooding, which has had a devastating effect across the region.

 

"We must also ensure that those areas affected are not subject to some kind of insurance blight due to the flooding. It’s vital that a safety net is maintained by the government and that we see proper and ongoing investment in flood defence schemes..”
 

Mr Gruffydd , who is also Plaid Cymru’s shadow minister for the environmental, added: “There is a also wider issue here that must be addressed by the planning authorities and the Welsh Government. We cannot continue to build houses on flood plains and expect to get away with it. Councils must address this matter in making their future Local Development Plans (LDP) fit for purpose.
 

“Some of the houses that were flooded were built very recently and all kinds of assurances were made. Those householders have clearly been let down and we cannot have more of this kind of development, which will end up with even greater disasters if we’re not careful.
 

“With that in mind, I want to see every council in Wales re-assess their housing allocations in light of these latest floods so that future LDPs do not repeat the mistakes made by planners in the past. Denbighshire Council, the worst affected area, is meeting next Tuesday to discuss allocating land for a further 1,000 homes. Can they give an assurance that these sites are safe from flooding?
 

“John Griffiths and his government also have to do more than offer words of sympathy for those whose homes have been flooded. He must act decisively and ensure that he does all in his powers to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.”