Jane Hutt, Minister for Finance & Government Business and Carl Sargeant, Minister for Natural Resources
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
Today Carl Sargeant, Minister for Natural Resources, and I visited the sea wall at St Brides on the Severn Estuary between Cardiff and Newport to see first hand an example of one of our flood and coastal defences. We met with Natural Resources Wales who explained how these vital pieces of infrastructure are likely to continue to be tested by adverse weather conditions.
It is against this backdrop that today, as Finance Minister, I am announcing this Government’s intention to deliver £150 million of new investment in key coastal erosion and flood risk management schemes. The scheme will become operational in 2018 and this new investment will be delivered in partnership with local authorities.
The Welsh Government has invested around £245 million in capital and revenue resources to flood and coastal defence infrastructure, which includes resources to align investment with the Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan, as well as additional investment from the European structural funds.
This investment has increased the resilience of our national network of flood defences, protecting both our communities and our social and economic infrastructure, even during major flood and storm events such as those we have experienced over the past two years.