Work starts later this month on a £2.5 million flood scheme on the River Cynin in St. Clears. The scheme will involve work to: open up the arches of the existing bridges; re-model the river bank; construct flood defences; install a 'tree catcher' upstream of the town. Original plans to replace one of the town's bridges have been revised and the current scheme, to modify the bridges has been developed to minimise disruption to local residents and businesses. Construction vehicles will access the working areas from the town car park, via Pentre Road and the A4066. During the first phase, traffic lights will be in place along the Pentre Road and parking will be restricted. To minimise the effects, a parking area adjacent to the current car park will be provided. The flood defences are designed to reduce the risk of flooding to the worst affected properties in the centre of the town. The 'tree catcher' should prevent branches and other debris collecting under the river bridges. The main objective of the scheme is to provide protection for all properties against a one in 75 year flood event. The work is to be carried out in two phases, with around 20 weeks this year and a further 14 weeks in the summer of 2007, once the utility companies have completed work to divert services in the town. Currently there are no Agency flood defences in St. Clears. There is an island in the centre of the river, which divides it, causing it to pass under two road bridges on the main Pentre Road. Flooding is caused by water backing up, due to the bridges and the riverbanks below. This causes flooding of riverside properties, and there is currently a one in five annual risk of flooding. The river Cynin has a history of flooding, with major flooding events in 1979, 1985, 1986, 1991 and 2000. The largest event occurred in 1986 when 20 properties were flooded. The most recent flood affecting residents was in November 2005.
