FOLLOWING Cardiff Council’s announcement of a £25 million upgrade to its sea defences due to “rising sea levels caused by climate change” concerns, the Barry Green party is calling on the Vale Council to carry out its own environmental risk report.
A recent report highlighted potential flooding along the south Wales coast, with the new docks development in Barry, the Bendricks and the Knap all under threat.
Barry Green Party spokesperson and Barry resident, Aoife Blight, said that the Cardiff engineering works are likely to begin in February next year and finish by October 2023, with the Welsh Government funding 85 per cent of the cost and Cardiff Council funding the rest.
She said: “We need to listen to the scientific evidence and urgently carry our hydrological surveys to ensure that Barry and Vale communities have the protection they deserve. It is clear that climate breakdown is exceeding all projections.
“It is only prudent that when Cardiff Council is prepared to move 100,000 tonnes of rock to protect Cardiff communities, the Vale Council should at least inform residents of its plans to protect Barry and Vale communities from future sea level rises.
”Green party member and manager of Awesome Wales, a zero waste shop, Amy Greenfield added: “Global sea level has been rising over the past century, but the rate has increased in recent decades and is projected to rise even faster. This means that destructive storm surges can push further inland than they once did.
“The Vale Council must stop giving planning permission on vulnerable sites to ensure people and livelihoods are protected against future sea storm surges.”
The Leader of the Green Party in Wales, Anthony Slaughter, added: “The UK was the first country to industrialise and has been a major emitter of greenhouse gases over many decades. We therefore bear a particular responsibility to lead in the fight against the climate and ecological emergencies.”
The Vale Council has been approached for comment.
