A new £6 million flood alleviation scheme has been officially opened in St Asaph, Wales.

The project aims to reduce the risk of flooding from the River Elwy to 293 homes and 121 businesses including schools, retirement homes, sheltered accommodation, the local library, doctor's surgery and fire station.

Other infrastructure and recreational benefits include new and wider footpaths, improvements to the ancient City Bridge and the installation of an "i beacon” Bluetooth transmitter. The scheme also includes the installation of bird and bat boxes and the replacement of trees and hedges.

Speaking after opening the scheme and unveiling a plaque, Environment Minister Hannah Blythyn said: "We all remember the serious flooding here in 2012, so this is an important scheme for St Asaph. Those events remind us of the real threat we face from flooding, which is likely to increase as our climate changes.

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"I would like to thank Natural Resources Wales and their contractors for delivering this important scheme which is reducing the flood risk to 414 properties, including 293 homes.

"The scheme has been supported with £6 million from the Welsh Government. Earlier this year I also announced a £56m programme to strengthen Wales' flood and coastal defences, helping build resilience in communities across Wales which face similar risks."

Tim Jones, Natural Resources Wales' Executive Director of Operations for North Wales, said: "This scheme will make a real difference to people living and working in St Asaph who suffered such devastating flooding in November 2012 and have lived with the threat of flooding for many years. 

"While we can't always prevent flooding from happening, we have built a robust scheme for St Asaph that will significantly reduce the risk and provide effective, long-term peace of mind for people in the city.

"And the scheme's environmental improvements and new recreation opportunities are a boost to everyone's day-to-day life in the city as well."

(LM)