A Flintshire MP has called for delayed flood prevention works to be completed without any further hold-ups.

Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami met with officers of Flintshire Council and Natural Resources Wales on Friday regarding his ongoing campaign to upgrade flood prevention measures in Pentre, Mancot and Sandycroft.

Together with Carolyn Thomas, member of the Senedd for North Wales, Mr Tami questioned why work that was promised almost two years ago had still not been carried out.

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“Commitments were made by Flintshire County Council and Natural Resources Wales at the meeting I organised after the last severe flooding,” said Mr Tami.

“Constituents have been quite patient enough in waiting for those promises to be fulfilled. It’s not acceptable that as we go into another winter, residents are still at risk whenever we have severe weather.”

The Labour MP is now calling on Flintshire’s new climate change committee to carry out an inquiry into how well the drainage system in the area will cope with more extreme weather as the impact of climate change continues to be felt.

Some improvements have been made over the last two years, including significant work to clear the main Pentre drain which runs along Chester Road.

That drain had become silted up and blocked, reducing the amount of water that could drain away and leading to homes flooding during heavy rain.

However, there are a number of drains in the area that have not been unblocked, which means some properties are still at risk.

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Carolyn Thomas MS said “Every resident of Sandycroft and Mancot has the right to expect that those who are responsible for the drains will look after them. Getting this work done must be a priority before the winter arrives in earnest.”

Mancot county councillor Sam Swash, who was also present and highlighted some of the worst affected parts of his ward, said: “I welcome Mark and Carolyn’s campaigning on this serious and longstanding issue. There is no time for further delays - the work must be done.

“We also have to be realistic about what the drains can cope with even at full capacity, and plans for more houses on Ash Lane will only make the problem worse.”

A spokesperson for Flintshire Council said: "The council has invested considerable time and resources in the Sandycroft area to coordinate effort and ensure that all flood risk agencies meet their obligations to ensure that all drainage systems that they are responsible for are free flowing.

"Considerable work in terms of ditch and culvert cleansing has already taken place and the remaining work which is within the remit of Natural Resources Wales is being programmed by them at present.

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"The council will use all of its influence in collaboration with NRW to try to accelerate this programme of works."

Sara Pearson, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Operations Manager – Flood Risk and Water Management, said: “NRW works closely with flood risk management authorities and communities to plan for, and to help mitigate and adapt to future flood risks.

“We have undertaken a range of maintenance work over the last year, including vegetation clearance and silt removal from most open channels in the area.

“Working in partnership with Flintshire Council we undertook a culvert clearance project that was completed early in 2022.

"Survey work on the Phoenix Street culvert along Chester Road identified significant defects and raised concerns that removal of certain blockages could destabilise the culvert. This would then potentially impact local services, roads, and homes.

“Progress is being made and we have appointed qualified drainage engineers to develop solutions to clear the culvert, and repair or replace it where needed. We have also started a wider project to investigate flood risk in the area and look into possible wider flood risk management improvements in the longer term.

“It should be recognised that while defences reduce the risk of flooding for thousands of homes across the country, they cannot protect everyone all the time. What we can do, and what we must do in the face of the climate emergency, is to consider a range of options to manage flood risk.

“We will complete the work as soon as we can but we need to carefully examine all issues to ensure the safety of local communities and the protection of the environment.”