Agenda item

To consider a report (copy enclosed) by the Council’s Flood Risk Manager on  the value and benefits of investing in both schemes for the communities concerned and the county in general and seek members’ support for progressing their approval through the Council’s  decision-making processes.

10.10am – 11am

The Lead Member for Environment and Transport, Councillor Barry Mellor, introduced the report (previously circulated) on the Proposed Central Rhyl and Central Prestatyn Coastal Defence Schemes alongside the Interim Head of Highways and Environmental Services and the Flood Risk Manager.

The report detailed two potential coastal flood risk management schemes for

Central Rhyl and Central Prestatyn. The report aimed to provide an update to the Committee regarding the development of the schemes and the next steps involved, to allow the Committee to scrutinise both schemes before they go were presented to the Strategic Investment Group (SIG), Cabinet & Council (where a decision to deliver the schemes would be sought). Full Business Cases for both schemes were in development and would be submitted to the Welsh Government (WG) by the end of September 2022. However, draft Business Cases were attached as Appendices 5 & 6 to provide further details of the rationale for taking both schemes forward to the construction stage.  Both these appendices were exempted from public disclosure.

Members of the Committee discussed the following further –

·         Councillor Martyn Hogg thanked the officers involved with the schemes as he had emailed them before the meeting requesting additional information, which had been provided. However, he sought further information relating to the rock scouring and the carbon offset with the development. Councillor Hogg wanted to ensure that the rock scouring would not cause the sandy beaches in the area to disappear; he also queried what impact the development would have on carbon emissions. The responding officer assured the Committee that the rock scouring would be monitored to ensure the sands would remain at the beaches and that the carbon impact of the site would be offset by the benefit to the communities of building the defences to reduce the risk of flooding from the sea.

·         Officers confirmed to the Committee that some kiosks would have to close to accommodate the flood defence construction, although there would be opportunities available for them to re-establish their businesses once the construction work had been completed.  The children’s village would not be required to move.  Communication with all affected parties was continually undertaken in a bid to minimise the impact of the disruption on all involved.

·         Rhyl Golf Club and whether the Prestatyn Coastal Defence scheme would impact the club was raised. It was confirmed that the Golf Club would be required to close temporarily as would the cycle path alongside it for a short period. The Council, the owner of the land where the Club was situated, had a good working relationship with the Golf Club.  Arrangements had been facilitated with other local golf clubs to permit Rhyl Golf Club members to play at other courses for the duration of the closure period.

Having considered the information provided in the report and its appendices, along with the answers provided during the discussion to members’ questions, the Committee:

RESOLVED: to –

(i)    acknowledge the value and benefits to be gained from investing in both schemes to the communities in Rhyl and Prestatyn and to the county in general;

(ii)  recommend that both schemes be submitted to the Strategic Investment Group (SIG), Cabinet and Council successively for their respective approval (as per the timetable in Appendix 4 to the report);

(iii) confirm that, as part of its consideration, it had read, understood and taken into account the Wellbeing Impact Assessments for both schemes (Appendices 3a & 3b to the report); and

(iv) support the progression of both schemes to construction, subject to funding approval.