The Engineer

Government grant approved for Welsh coastline protection

News

Environment minister Jane Davidson has approved a Welsh Assembly Government grant of more than £6.5m towards the first phase of coastal protection works along the Borth-to-Ynyslas coastline near Aberystwyth in Wales.

The council’s scheme, estimated to cost £12m, has already been approved for £5.5m from the European Regional Development Fund.

The existing coastal defences have come to the end of their life, and approximately 330 properties in the area are at risk from flooding, including 40 commercial buildings, the Cambrian Coast Railway and the B4353.

One in six properties in Wales is currently at risk of flooding, with flooding estimated to cause in the region of £200m of damage each year.

Work is expected to start on the project early in the new year.