A SOLUTION may have been found to the flooding problems that have plagued a housing estate for years.
Residents of Cae Bracty, Mold are often deluged by floods during torrential rain but a £212,500 grant from the Welsh Government could help solve the problem.
The grant has been made to help with the planning and design elements of a flood alleviation scheme.
The scheme, totalling £6.1 million, has been drawn up with the help of Environment Agency Wales, Flintshire Council and Mold residents.
Suzanne Salmon, who has lived in the area for 12 years, has twice had her home badly affected by flooding and helped raise the problem of flooding on the estate with the ‘Flood Plan Leads’ voluntary group.
She said: “The new flood barriers are very good because before we had to use sandbags and they just rot. They are useless.
“The floodgates and plans for an alleviation scheme are very important and it will help with the insurance claims if flooding comes again.
“I’m happy to help and obviously I’m helping myself as well. The authorities have been great in helping us.”
John Griffiths, Welsh Government environment minister, met residents to discuss the plan while also testing out the newly delivered flood gates.
He said: “There’s nothing better than meeting residents and getting that first-hand experience of what they have gone through.
“There needs to be a community awareness and self help as well as the use of flood defences.
“The use of floodgates for example is really effective in preventing a flood.”
Residents at the sheltered housing scheme run by Clwyd Alyn Housing Association experienced serious flooding in 2009 and 2012, with some people forced to leave their homes.
The funding from the Welsh Assembly will help to set up a system to divert water, which runs from higher ground in Mold town centre, into the River Alyn.
The three phase plan will not be completed until at least 2017.
Mr Griffiths said: “We want to stop the flooding in these places and that’s why I’m really pleased to announce more than £212,000 to do the preparatory work to make sure a flood alleviation plan goes ahead.
“Flooding is one of the things that keeps me awake at night because it is a risk to life and limb as well as property.”
The Welsh Government has pledged £150m for flood defences in the current term.
Delyn AM Sandy Mewies said: “There are people here who have been affected by flooding several times and this gives them something they can use without having to use sandbags and will be something that will reassure them.
“We are looking at permanent solutions now if possible.”
The scheme has also received £1.08m from the European Regional Development Fund.