Councillors in Saundersfoot have formed a Flooding Contingency Planning Team in response to recent disruptions and potential sea level risks, as the seaside village’s resilience to coastal erosion concerns continues to be considered.

Recently, members of Saundersfoot Community Council, agreed to establish a Flooding Contingency Planning Team for the village, with support from the Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum.

For an extensive report, an initial quote from Swansea University stands at £10,000 which is considered average for this type of report, Community Council chair Cllr Alec Cormack told members at their most recent meeting.

Cllr Cormack along with fellow county councillor, Chris Williams recently met with officers from Pembrokeshire County Council to discuss how they can procure an initial scope for a consultancy report on potential measures that might be taken in the village to mitigate and improve defences to guard against future sea level rises and the inevitable flooding risk to Saundersfoot.

“It is important that the report should consider the whole area of the Welsh Government’s Flood Management Plan, namely from Coppet Hall to Monkstone Point,” stated Cllr Cormack.

“Other recommendations put forward, which, if included in the report would enable Saundersfoot Community Council to make grant applications to Welsh Government and potentially access more funds, in the future.”

Cllr Williams said that it was still unclear whether grant finding would be available, if they decide to proceed with commissioning such a report, or whether the Community Council would have to pay for the whole report.

During the recent severe weather, Saundersfoot, along with many other parts of the country, experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall that sadly caused flooding and disruption across parts of the village.

The Fire Service was called to Cambrian Terrace to assist with pumping out affected properties, and there were also difficulties in the Regency Hall area, where vehicles were unable to enter or exit safely due to the depth of the water.

Unfortunately, both the Sands Nightclub and Saundersfoot Sports Club suffered serious flooding to their premises.

“Despite the difficult circumstances, it was heartening to see the wonderful community spirit on display,” said Cllr Williams.

“Many residents came forward to offer help, ensuring the clean-up was carried out quickly and that local businesses could reopen. The flooding coincided with very high tides and continuous rainfall over a 48-hour period, making the situation particularly challenging.

“The stream behind the Sports Club also overflowed, and checks were carried out at Brooklands Place to ensure residents were safe and that no homes were at immediate risk.”

Saundersfoot Community Council has since arranged for sandbags to be available should similar issues occur in the future.

“Cllr Cormack and I would like to extend our sincere thanks to the dedicated teams at Pembrokeshire County Council who worked tirelessly throughout the incident,” remarked Cllr Williams.

“We are extremely grateful to everyone who offered their time and support – the emergency services and council staff and the many residents who helped neighbours and local businesses.

“Moments like these truly highlight the strength and resilience of the Saundersfoot community.”