Anger in Welsh seaside town as new flood defence scheme compared to 'maximum security prison'

Residents in a Welsh coastal town are growing increasingly anxious as the full extent of planned flood defence measures becomes clear. In Barmouth, Gwynedd, locals have raised concerns about the height of a new flood wall and the visual impact of planned rock armour installations.

Safety concerns have also emerged regarding elements of the two-year project, which is scheduled to begin this summer. Local people are have called for changes to the proposals that would allow the town's promenade to flood during storms, effectively functioning as a reservoir-like water storage area.

Cyngor Gwynedd is finalising designs for the new coastal defences along Barmouth's north promenade. Partial promenade collapsed in 2020-21 underscored the urgent need for upgrades to prevent potentially devastating flooding. 

Council consultants YGC dismissed the option of raising the primary wall and revetment along the seafront, as this this would create a "significant visual impact" on a town heavily dependent on tourism. The alternative approach focuses on raising a 1.2km-long secondary wall, positioned away from the seafront in front of residential areas.

The proposed concrete recurve wall will range in height from 1.55 to 1.7 metres (5.1ft-5.6ft). Local resident Kye Smith said he was shocked when he discovered this was the plan.

"Residents will feel like they are in a maximum security prison," he fumed. "The extreme height of this concrete wall will obstruct light and views. It will also invite anti-social behaviour such as graffiti and poor driving as it's so high no one can be seen behind it."

To prove his point, the 38-year-old construction worker propped up 1.7-metre planks next to the current stone wall. Taking photos, he then overlaid coloured blocks on the images to produce an "accurate" representation of the wall's visual impact.

It was at this point that he discovered the wall would appear even more imposing when seen from the promenade. Given that this sits 550mm further down the slope, he worked out a total height of 2.25 metres from the seafront perspective.

Kye described the proposed secondary wall as "unnecessary and impractical" – particularly since consultants claim the beach's new rock armour will "significantly reduce wave overtopping at the primary wave wall".

He continued: "It may be appropriate to consider improving the secondary wall with a more structural design supported by piles. However there is no clear justification for the proposed 1700mm height – or for introducing a wave-return curve that would detract from the character and visual appeal of the existing stone wall and the Wales Coast Path."

Not everyone is on board: some residents point out graffiti is not currently an issue in Barmouth and a higher flood defence wall will screen passing traffic. The initial plans featured a 10-metre wide rock revetment stretching along nearly the full length of the promenade north of Heol Idris.

Additional rock armour north of the prom was examined but subsequently dismissed as surplus to requirements. Further proposed works include:

• Groynes to be removed where possible, subject to environmental surveys.
• Primary wall to remain at the same height but with some localised modifications and repairs
• Central stone-faced wall (to delineate the prom from the seafront road) to be replaced with a similar height 0.4-metre concrete wall.
• Flood gates to replace stop logs across key openings, with goal to reduce the number of temporary defences.
• Introducing rock pods to enhance marine biodiversity.
• Improving public spaces with new seating, raised planters and better lighting.
• New art installations and cycling amenities.
• Traffic calming features with parking improvements and better access to the beach. These could include a new parking layout on Marine Parade and refurbishment of the northern car park.
• Designated locations for commercial activities such as food and drink trucks.

Maintaining the primary wall at its current height, to preserve seafront vistas, will inevitably result in increased overtopping as sea levels climb. YGC confirmed this is an integral element of the strategy.

"The promenade including the road (Marine Parade) will still flood and is part of the defence solution," YGC's specialists explained. "This area will be closed during a flood event.

"Allowing the promenade to flood balances the need for flood protection with maintaining the character of the town."

Rock armour fears

The proposed rock armour should reduce both the severity and regularity of promenade flooding. Yet Kye remains unconvinced, advocating for what he views as a superior alternative – one that's less obtrusive and "less dangerous".

To raise awareness of the scheme's ramifications and present alternative proposals, he established Facebook page Barmouth Flood Defence Scheme to voice community concerns. The page has already drawn nearly 600 members in a town of 2,500 residents that expands five-fold during the summer tourist season.

Whilst rock armour may be unattractive, its effectiveness is proven – it's currently employed in most coastal defence projects across North Wales. Nevertheless, Kye harbours concerns about its shortcomings.

"You are essentially putting an obstacle course akin to a climbing frame on the beach," he stated. "Barmouth is one of the busiest tourist towns in Gwynedd with many visitors coming from cities in England – one reason why they call this place Little Birmingham.

"After a long journey of two to three hours, the driver often drops off the rest of the family at the seafront before looking for somewhere to park. The kids are excited, they want to get on the sand and it's inevitable some will start clambering over the rock armour."

In addition to slips and falls, there have been instances of people getting stuck in rock armour. Kye refers to several examples from across Britain – but one incident closer to home stands out.

In April 2024, a young girl got trapped while playing on rock armour on Tywyn beach. As the tide was rising, a multi-agency rescue operation involving Coastguards, fire teams, paramedics and an air ambulance was initiated.

Heavy-lifting machinery was deployed and the girl was rescued after approximately three hours.

"People will do anything to get to the beach," Kye commented. "I can foresee similar incidents occurring in Barmouth that happened in Tywyn that day."

Artificial reef

Approximately 86,000 tonnes of rock will be required for the revetment. Transporting this material through the town's narrow roads would present a significant logistical challenge, necessitating roughly 20 round trips daily over a 10-month period, totalling 4,400 HGV journeys.

The project team is evaluating various transportation routes. Maritime delivery of the rocks is another possibility under consideration. This option has considerable advantages: just four barge trips carrying up to 25,000-tonne loads would suffice.

Should this latter approach be selected, Kye would prefer the rocks to be deposited at sea. He advocates for an offshore reef positioned at a 15 to 20-metre depth.

This is being explored as a long-term strategy for Barmouth's coastal defences, when certain parts of the resort may need to be surrendered to the ocean.

Currently, an artificial reef isn't being proposed: the objective remains to strengthen defences as much as feasible to postpone the future "managed realignment" of north Barmouth.

Rather than maintaining the existing hold-the-line strategy, Kye argued an artificial reef would provide superior protection by "advancing the line".

"It would not only support marine life, it would also act as a natural wave barrier at a safe distance," he said. "By the time the waves reach the shore, their energy will have been dispersed, greatly reducing their impact on the beach and sea defences."

Loss of sand

Kye believes that an offshore reef could offer a solution to the ongoing issue of sand loss from north Barmouth, which has led to significant voiding that severely damaged the promenade in 2020. Much of the sand drifts southwards, and each autumn, council diggers and trucks are tasked with retrieving it from the south beach.

The deterioration of beach groynes, coupled with the construction of a causeway to Ynys y Brawd at the mouth of the Mawddach estuary, is blamed by locals for these issues. The causeway was built as a response to numerous drownings in the fast-flowing channel between the beach and the island.

While it made Ynys y Brawd accessible to walkers, it also blocked the channel, which many believe led to the harbour silting up.

Kye suggests that this also hindered the northward drift of sediment, resulting in a sand-deprived north beach and, ultimately, the proposed flood defence upgrades we see today. He believes that maintaining and restoring the groynes could provide a partial solution.

He's aware that the planned rock revetment has been extended to a width of 18 metres, taking up more of the remaining beach. "It will claim around 21,600 square meters of usable soft sand beach space," he stated.

"Removal of the groynes would then allow what's left to move freely down south like it historically has done since the creation of the causeway to Ynys y Brawd.

"In an ideal world, and for the benefit of Barmouth, its residents, businesses and visitors, it would be more effective to create an artificial reef, reinstate the groynes and properly renourish the North Beach – something that has not been done for many years."

'Eight million litres of water'.

YGC has no plans to nourish – or extend – the beach. However there is little doubt that upgraded flood defences are needed. Current analysis shows much of the resort being flooded – in places more than two metres deep – in the event of a one in 200-year storm.

Beyond the threat to approximately 757 properties, crucial transport infrastructure including the Cambrian railway line could face inundation. YGC has stated that safeguarding property, businesses and infrastructure remains the primary objective when designing the proposed scheme.

Kye acknowledges the requirement for improved defences but disagrees on the methodology. Drainage along the primary wall provides another case in point.

Currently, drainage holes are positioned at five-metre intervals but possess only a 110mm diameter, which he argues is "insufficient". Furthermore, none feature non-return valves, permitting water to flow back inland.

"It's difficult to see how more than eight million litres of water could drain efficiently through such limited outlets," he said. "What's needed are larger drain-offs equipped with non-return valves."

Also on his agenda is a fire emergency plan, as navigating through the crowded streets of north Barmouth can be challenging. He's also seeking clarity regarding the proposed floodgates between properties and roads.

"We don't know how long they remain closed before and after a storm," he stated.

The project is set to commence this summer and conclude in summer 2028. Modifications to the design may be revealed during this period.

To minimise disruption to tourism and local residents, the 7am-7pm working hours will be halted during the school summer holidays.