Anglesey: Villagers' worry at being cut off by flooded road

Heavy rain and high tides contribute to the flooding, according to residents

Residents fear they could be cut off several times a year due to regular flooding of the main road leading into their villages.

Residents in Llangoed and Penmon on Anglesey said the main route, which leads to Beaumaris, had already been closed twice this year.

It has sparked concerns that emergency services may not be able to reach them if the road is flooded.

The Welsh government said funding has been given and more can be applied for.

The stretch of the B5109 road near the former Saunders-Roe factory usually floods due to a combination of heavy rainfall and high tides due to its proximity to the sea.

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Each village has about 1,200 residents but no homes are at risk of flooding.

'A big problem'

Delyth Jones, chairwoman of Llangoed and Penmon community council, said: "We've got people who've not been able to go to work and have missed appointments, it's caused anxiety and people wondering where the school bus is and if the children can come home.

"It's a big problem and it's happening more and more frequently.

"My biggest concern is the ambulance service and the fire brigade not being able to get in, we've had to push for defibrillators in the village because it's a big concern in the area."

Anglesey councillor Gary Pritchard added: "If we have two or three nights of heavy rain then this bend between Beaumaris and Llangoed is flooded and impossible to pass, we don't even need big storms for it to happen these days.

"With people looking for alternative routes it then caused problems on the narrow country lanes."

Huw Percy, Anglesey council's head of highways, said the authority would want to get another grant from the Welsh government's resilient roads fund.

"We have worked with communities and secured significant grant funding to complete a number of flood prevention schemes across the island," he said.

"In the meantime, we will continue to look for local solutions to problems such as the one on the B5109."

A Welsh government spokesman said: "We have provided £220,000 to Isle of Anglesey county council for work that could improve the resilience of roads to Beaumaris, including the B5109 between Beaumaris and Llangoed.

"This is an existing scheme and, therefore, the local authority will now have to submit an application for the next financial year to carry out the works."