Porthmadog Flood Risk Management Project

Credit: NPAS (National Police Air Service)

Managing flooding in Porthmadog

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is exploring options to more effectively manage the long-term flood risk to Porthmadog and surrounding communities. We are keen to explain about the long-term flood risk to the community and how this project provides an opportunity to address these risks. We will also be looking for wider environmental, social, and economic opportunities.

Flood Risk in Porthmadog

The community of Porthmadog and Tremadog is at risk from flooding from rivers and the sea. As our climate changes, it is anticipated the area, like many other communities across Wales, will face more frequent storms and heavy rain as well as rising sea levels. Maintaining current levels of flood protection to people and homes will be a challenge given the area’s low-lying land and the aging flood defences in place.

Our Work

The project builds on previous projects and studies and will involve assessing a range of long-term options to reduce the risk of river and sea flooding to the local community. We will take into account a range of factors for the options we consider such as sustainability, viability, and affordability. We are committed to working with nature and exploring opportunities to create new habitats and improve the biodiversity in the area. There may be opportunities to regenerate the existing flood defences and associated public spaces, providing wider benefits for the local community. We want to work together to find solutions that can offer a sustainable future for Porthmadog.

Any decision about the future of flood defences within Porthmadog and Tremadog will take into account the West of Wales Shoreline Management Plan (SMP). The SMP provides the framework for managing long-term impacts of coastal flooding and for Porthmadog, it recommends a policy of ‘Hold the Line’ over the next 100 years. Hold the line is an aspiration to build or maintain artificial defences so that the current position of the shoreline remains. This is subject to affordability and can involve changing standards of flood protection.

Progress to date

Throughout 2022, we have been updating our flood model to better understand the risk of flooding. Using the latest guidance, available river flow records and photographs taken during the winter of 2015, we are able to predict present and future flood risk considering the increased pressures from climate change.

The model shows a greater number of homes and businesses at risk from the Afon Glaslyn, Y Cyt and from the sea. This concerns us all, and that is why NRW are focused on finding sustainable solutions to manage the risk.

Prior to the model update, in 2021, we sent letters to households and businesses asking for your experiences of flooding. This has helped us to better understand your concerns and what really matters to you. Suggestions to date include upgrading the existing defences in the town and removing flood water more quickly from the area.

Our latest understanding of flood risk presents a challenge in sustaining present levels of flood protection. From the coast, we are predicting up to a one metre rise in sea levels within the next century. From rivers, we are expecting greater volumes of flood water and frequent extreme flooding. There is an indication that new flow routes will be created, potentially bypassing existing flood defences and connecting Y Cyt with the Afon Glaslyn.

Working with the community and with our partners, we will be assessing options to manage this threat and work towards identifying a preferred option in 2023.

Latest News

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is holding two consultation events to share findings of an updated flood model for Porthmadog and the wider area, with members of the public.

This is part of NRW’s work to reduce flood risk in the area and the events, held at Y Ganolfan Community Centre on Thursday 26 January and Friday 27 January, will provide an opportunity to explain the findings, and the flood risk management solutions being explored.

More than 2,400 newsletters are being sent to homes and businesses in the area as part of the consultation.

Please come and visit us at the first of the consultation events:

Y Ganolfan Community Centre, High Street, Porthmadog, LL49 9LU on:

Thursday, January 26 between 1.30pm and 6.30pm

And

Friday, January 27 between 9.30am and 2.00pm.

Members of the project team will be on hand to answer your questions, and discuss the flood model findings and what these mean for you. We also want to hear your views on possible flood risk management options and how these are to be assessed.

If you cannot attend the consultation events, the information boards and feedback forms will be available online from Thursday 26 January, 1.30pm.

The consultation runs between Thursday 26 January and Monday 20 February 2023.

Keeping in touch

We will provide project updates on this webpage.

Please get in touch if you’d like to find out more and to share your views with us as well as to register for future progress updates:

Email: porthmadog.floodrisk@grasshopper-comms.co.uk
Tel: Andrew Basford, Project Manager (Welsh Learner) on 03000 65 3846 or Sharon Parry, Project Team Support Officer (Welsh Speaker) on 03000 65 5264.

You can also write to us at:

Sharon Parry
Natural Resource Wales
Bangor Office,
Maes y Ffynnon,
Gwynedd, LL57 2DW