Blaenau Gwent Council is exploring a new ‘Deal’ with its communities and in Cwm a group of residents are embodying this by coming together to form a Flood Task Force.
After being hit badly by flooding during Storm Bert a year ago, in the spirit of ‘The Deal’, a group of residents are working hand in hand with the Council on community resilience and responding to incidents.
The Task Force brings together people from different backgrounds and with different skills but with one shared mission, being empowered to support their community in times of need.
Members have been trained to operate Cwm Institute as a Community Emergency Hub (tested with a live exercise); helped to distribute ‘floodsax’ provided by the Council to local residents and will also be trained how to use locally stored pumps to discharge excess flood water. They also keep an eye on local drains during heavy rainfall, meet regularly and use a WhatsApp group to communicate quickly and effectively with each other.
Spokesperson for the Cwm Flood Task Force, Sallie Jones says:
“Our village was devastated by last year’s storms, and we don’t want to see that ever happen again. Out of every negative needs to come a positive and so the Task Force was born. We want to do whatever we can do, in partnership and with support from the Council, to support our communities during a crisis.”
Local councillors George Humphreys and Derrick Bevan are also on the Task Force. They say:
“This is what The Deal is all about - empowered residents and the Council working together for the good of their community. A big shout out to everyone involved with the group and the ones who couldn’t make the photo, Jeff Robins, Mark Williams, Kirsty, Dale and Alison.”
Councillor Tommy Smith, Cabinet Member for Neighborhoods and Environment at Blaenau Gwent Council says:
“Preventing reoccurring flooding remains a top priority for us, and over £900,000 has been invested in Blaenau Gwent this year. As well as funding, we are also working more closely with communities on planning and resilience.
“The work we are doing with Cwm Flood Task Force is exactly what we want to achieve through the Blaenau Gwent Deal. We want to do things differently by listening to our residents and their needs and working with them to make their communities the best they can be. We look forward to continuing to work with the residents in Cwm and extending this approach into communities around Blaenau Gwent.”
There has been significant funding for flood prevention works in Cwm since Storm Bert in November 2024, when the village was cut off by flooding. This has included major improvements to a main culvert, drainage and lane resurfacing works and additional measures identified through resident feedback. A new sensor is also monitoring water levels on the upgraded culvert.
The Blaenau Gwent Deal is a new way of working with communities - a social contract between the council, residents, and partners. It sets out a shared vision for a fairer, healthier, and more resilient borough - one where health inequalities are tackled and every resident is empowered to thrive.
The Council is currently carrying out a first phase of engagement on how The Blaenau Gwent Deal could look. The consultation asks people what is good about their community; how it could be improved and how would they be prepared to play a part. The survey runs until December 31. You can take part here.
