‘There’s not enough money to stop the flooding’

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Landowner investment in a project overseen by four councils either side of the Wales/England border to reduce flooding along the River Severn is vital to its success, it has been claimed.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Economy, Residents and Communities scrutiny committee, councillors were given a presentation on the Marches Environmental Investment Programme (MEIP) and how it will be run.

They were also told that the partnership is already working on a project which could see land set aside at the top of the River Severn catchment area, to be used to slow down flooding, in the hope that towns downstream will not be as badly affected as they have in recent years.

Head of Economy, Daniel Burgess, explained that the partnership is “trying to understand the art of the possible” to protect the residents of Powys and further afield from the effects of climate change through “nature-based solutions on water storage”.

Mr Burgess said that the key issue is that “central and local government don’t have the budget anymore to tackle some of the fundamental threats to our very existence”.

How to entice private investors – who will want to make a profit from any project – to invest in these types of projects will be the key issue to solve.

Mr Burgess told councillors that projects need to be big enough to generate the revenue needs for private investment and this is why the Marches Partnership – made up of Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales and the English councils of Herefordshire and Shropshire – is working on this together rather than as separate authorities.

The quartet would use the River Severn Partnership as an investment vehicle for the potential scheme.

Mr Burgess said: “We can all work together and attract that investment, we can’t afford to be in competition with each other.”

Cllr Pete Lewington (Conservative-Newtown West) asked: “What happens if you don’t attract that private sector finance?”

Chairman of the Upper Severn CABA (Catchment Based Approach) Richard Maryniak replied: “We don’t know, but we do know there are effective markets around the world that are trading in elements of what this geography has to offer.

“Highways, railways and water companies all have an interest that water is being managed effectively. We have already started conversations with many of these organisations.”

Mr Maryniak explained that it was up to the MEIP to present a business case in the “right way that attracts them”.

Cllr Corinna Kenyon-Wade (Liberal Democrat – Knighton with Beguildy) asked if there would be any “overlap” with the Welsh and UK Governments farming subsidy schemes. Potentially this could allow farmers to be part of the scheme by being paid subsidies to allow their land to flood.

Mr Burgess said: “We’re working with the Welsh Government and Defra (UK Government Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) to understand how this works with their schemes.”

Mr Maryniak added: “Nature is moving into an asset class.”

He believed it was important to “make that case” which shows that nature is as important as other types of infrastructure.

Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environmental Matters, Cllr Jackie Charlton (Liberal Democrat – Llangattock and Llangynidr), said: “We’ve actually got solutions to the climate emergency here that aren’t demanding money from the public purse but from those that it is going to make a difference to their business.

“We’re asking them to invest but use our strengths to do that.”

More project details will be revealed later this year as Cllr Charlton said a consultation on the scheme is expected to start in November.

Committee Chair, Cllr Angela Davies (Liberal Democrat – Rhayader), said: “We have to get the buy-in from the public, farmers and landowners on this.”

The committee agreed to “to support” the work of the MEIP.