![\"AI-generated](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_AFRDPR290126BarmouthDefences_03.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWork on a two-year flood alleviation scheme is due to start this summer<\/p>\n
AI-generated approximation by Kye Smith of the impact of north Barmouth’s planned secondary wall in front of properties(Image: Kye Smith)<\/p>\n
The full scale of planned flood defence works at a Gwynedd<\/a> seaside resort is dawning on worried residents. Concerns have been raised in Barmouth over the height of a planned new flood defence wall and the potential visual blight of new rock armour.<\/p>\n Safety fears have also been flagged over aspects of the two-year project due to start this summer. Residents have called for changes to a scheme that will allow the resort\u2019s promenade to flood in stormy weather<\/a>, storing water like a reservoir.<\/p>\n New coastal defences along Barmouth\u2019s north promenade are in the final stages of design by Cyngor Gwynedd. Partial prom collapses<\/a> in 2020-21 highlighted the urgent need for improvements to avoid potentially catastrophic flooding.<\/p>\n Council consultants YGC ruled out raising the height of the primary wall and revetment along the seafront as this would have a \u201csignificant visual impact\u201d on a town that relies heavily on tourism. Instead the goal is to increase the height of a 1.2km-long secondary wall. This wall is set back from the seafront and sits in front of housing estates.<\/p>\n The new concrete recurve wall will vary in height between 1.55 and 1.7 metres (5.1ft-5.6ft). Estate resident Kye Smith was shocked when he discovered this was the plan. \u201cResidents will feel like they are in a maximum security prison,\u201d he fumed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe extreme height of this concrete wall will obstruct light and views. It will also invite anti-social behaviour such as graffiti and poor driving as it\u2019s so high no one can be seen behind it.\u201d Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now<\/a><\/p>\n To prove his point the 38-year-old construction worker propped up 1.7-metre planks alongside the existing stone wall. Taking photos, he then overlaid coloured blocks on the images to produce an \u201caccurate\u201d representation of the wall\u2019s visual impact.<\/p>\n Kye puts a 1700mm mark on a post to give an idea of the height of the planned secondary defence wall(Image: Kye Smith)<\/p>\n It was at this point he realised the wall would be even more domineering when viewed from the promenade. As this lies 550mm lower down a slope, he calculated a net height of 2.25 metres when viewed from the seafront.<\/p>\n Kye said the planned secondary wall was \u201cunnecessary and impractical\u201d \u2013 especially as consultants say the beach\u2019s new rock armour will \u201csignificantly reduce wave overtopping at the primary wave wall\u201d.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cIt may be appropriate to consider improving the secondary wall with a more structural design supported by piles. However there is no clear justification for the proposed 1700mm height \u2013 or for introducing a wave-return curve that would detract from the character and visual appeal of the existing stone wall and the Wales Coast Path.\u201d<\/p>\n Not everyone is on board: some residents point out graffiti is not currently an issue in Barmouth and a higher flood defence wall will screen passing traffic.<\/p>\n Under the original proposals, a 10-metre wide rock revetment was planned along the promenade north of Heol Idris, a little over its entire length. Additional rock armour north of the prom was also considered but later rejected as unnecessary. Other planned work includes:<\/p>\n Groynes to be removed where possible, subject to environmental surveys.Primary wall to remain at the same height but with some localised modifications and repairsCentral stone-faced wall (to delineate the prom from the seafront road) to be replaced with a similar height 0.4-metre concrete wall.Flood gates to replace stop logs across key openings, with goal to reduce the number of temporary defences.Introducing rock pods to enhance marine biodiversity.Improving public spaces with new seating, raised planters and better lighting.New art installations and cycling amenities.Traffic calming features with parking improvements and better access to the beach. These could include a new parking layout on Marine Parade and refurbishment of the northern car park.Designated locations for commercial activities such as food and drink trucks.<\/p>\n Leaving the primary wall at the same height, to safeguard views of the seafront, will inevitably mean more overtopping as sea levels rise. YGC said this is part of the plan.<\/p>\n \u201cThe promenade including the road (Marine Parade) will still flood and is part of the defence solution,” said YGC’s experts. “This area will be closed during a flood event.<\/p>\n \u201cAllowing the promenade to flood balances the need for flood protection with maintaining the character of the town.\u201d<\/p>\n Using wooden planks, Kye produced a ‘very close-to-accurate’ visual of the impact of the planned 1700mm (5.5ft) secondary wall (blue) viewed from the promenade. Also shown is a 1700mm (5.5ft) flood gate (black) planned at Barmouth’s Coastguard look-out(Image: Kye Smith)<\/p>\n Rock armour fears<\/p>\n The new rock armour should reduce the degree and frequency of flooding on the promenade. However Kye is not impressed, believing there is a better solution \u2013 one less intrusive and \u201cless dangerous\u201d.<\/p>\n To make people aware of the scheme’s implications, and to offer alternative ideas, he set up Facebook<\/a> page Barmouth Flood Defence Scheme<\/a> to reflect local concerns. Already this has attracted almost 600 members in a town with 2,500 people that swells five-fold with summer visitors.<\/p>\n Rock armour is unsightly but it works \u2013 it\u2019s now used in the majority of coastal defence schemes in North Wales. However Kye worries it has drawbacks.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are essentially putting an obstacle course akin to a climbing frame on the beach,\u201d he said. \u201cBarmouth is one of the busiest tourist towns in Gwynedd with many visitors coming from cities in England \u2013 one reason why they call this place Little Birmingham.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter a long journey of two to three hours, the driver often drops off the rest of the family at the seafront before looking for somewhere to park. The kids are excited, they want to get on the sand and it\u2019s inevitable some will start clambering over the rock armour.\u201d<\/p>\n As well as slips and trips, people have been known to become wedged in rock armour. Kye cites several examples from around Britain \u2013 but most keenly recalls one closer to home.<\/p>\n In April 2024, a young girl became trapped while playing on rock armour on Tywyn beach. With the tide coming in, a multi-agency rescue was launched involving Coastguards, fire teams, paradmedics and an air ambulance. Heavy-lifting machinery was brought in and the girl was rescued after around three hours.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople will do anything to get to the beach,\u201d said Kye. \u201cI can see similar issues happening in Barmouth that happened in Tywyn that day.\u201d Get all the latest Gwynedd news<\/a> by signing up to our newsletter – sent every Tuesday<\/p>\n An incoming tide was perilously close to rock armour in Tywyn when a trapped girl was freed after a three-hour rescue operation(Image: Mid and North Wales Coastguard)<\/p>\n Artificial reef<\/p>\n Around 86,000 tonnes of rock will be needed for the revetment. Trucking this in through the town\u2019s narrow streets would be a major logistical headache, requiring around 20 round trips per day over 10 months, equivalent to 4,400 HGV journeys.<\/p>\n The project team is weighing up different transport routes. Fetching in the rocks by sea is another option being considered. It has a lot going for it: just four trips by a barge carrying up to 25,000-tonne loads would be needed.<\/p>\n If the latter option is preferred, Kye would like to see the rocks dumped at sea. He favours on an off-shore reef at a 15 to 20-metre depth line. It\u2019s something being considered as a long-term future option for Barmouth\u2019s coastal defences, when parts of the resort may have to be sacrificed to the sea<\/a>.<\/p>\n At present, a man-made reef is not on the table: instead, the goal is to beef up defences as much as possible to delay the future “managed realignment” of north Barmouth.<\/p>\n In place of of the current hold-the-line approach, Kye claimed an artificial reef would offer greater protection by \u201cadvancing the line\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would not only support marine life, it would also act as a natural wave barrier at a safe distance,\u201d he said. \u201cBy the time the waves reach the shore, their energy will have been dispersed, greatly reducing their impact on the beach and sea defences.\u201d<\/p>\n Kye’s estimation of the amount of beach space lost to planned rock armour at low tide(Image: Kye Smith)<\/p>\n Loss of sand<\/p>\n An off-shore reef would provide another benefit, Kye believes. Sand loss from north Barmouth is an ongoing issue, leading to the kind of voiding that undermined the promenade so badly in 2020. Much of it drifts south: each autumn, council diggers and truck fetch it back from the south beach.<\/p>\n Locals blame the deterioration of beach groynes allied to the construction of a causeway to Ynys y Brawd in the mouth of the Mawddach estuary. It was built in response to the many drownings that occurred in the fast-flowing channel between the beach and the island. This made Ynys y Brawd accessible to walkers but it blocked the channel which many blame for silting up the harbour<\/p>\n Kye believes it also prevented the northward drift of sediment, resulting in a sand-starved north beach and, ultimately, today\u2019s proposed flood defence upgrades. Retaining and restoring the groynes would offer a partial solution, he said.<\/p>\n Proposed public realm improvements along the promenade in north Barmouth. The much higher secondary wall is depicted on the other side of Marine Parade road(Image: Cyngor Gwynedd)<\/p>\n He understands the planned rock revetment has been expanded to a width of 18 metres, swallowing up more of what\u2019s left of the beach. \u201cIt will claim around 21,600 square meters of usable soft sand beach space,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cRemoval of the groynes would then allow what\u2019d left to move freely down south like it historically has done since the creation of the causeway to Ynys y Brawd.<\/p>\n \u201cIn an ideal world, and for the benefit of Barmouth, its residents, businesses and visitors, it would be more effective to create an artificial reef, reinstate the groynes and properly renourish the North Beach \u2013 something that has not been done for many years.”<\/p>\n Projected flood risk to Barmouth in the event of a one-in-200 year storm. If current defences are not improved, it would result in devastating flooding (top). Once planned upgrades are completed by summer 2028, the threat should be significantly reduced (bottom)(Image: Cyngor Gwynedd)<\/p>\n ‘Eight million litres of water’<\/p>\n YGC has no plans to nourish \u2013 or extend \u2013 the beach. However there is little doubt that upgraded flood defences are needed. Current analysis shows much of the resort being flooded \u2013 in places more than two metres deep \u2013 in the event of a one in 200-year storm.<\/p>\n As well as the risk to an estimated 757 properties, vital transport links such as the Cambrian railway could be inundated. YGC has said its key priority in designing the planned scheme is the protection of property, businesses and infrastructure.<\/p>\n Kye accept the needs for defence upgrades but differs and how they should be done. Another example is drainage along the primary wall. Currently, drain holes are spaced every five metres but these only have a 110mm diameter, which he says is \u201cinsufficient\u201d.<\/p>\n Moreover, none have non-return valves and so allow water to come back in. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to see how more than eight million litres of water could drain efficiently through such limited outlets,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat\u2019s needed are larger drain-offs equipped with non-return valves.\u201d<\/p>\n Also on his wish-list is a fire emergency plan: access to north Barmouth through congested streets can be tricky. He also wants certainty over the planned floodgates between properties and roads. \u201cWe don\u2019t know how long they remain closed before and after a storm,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The scheme is scheduled to start this summer and finish in summer 2028. Design tweaks may be announced in the interim. To reduce impacts on tourism<\/a> \u2013 and locals \u2013 the 7am-7pm working days will be suspended during the school summer holidays. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter<\/a> sent twice daily to your inbox<\/p>\n Find family activities near you<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Work on a two-year flood alleviation scheme is due to start this summer AI-generated approximation by Kye Smith…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":402108,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[100999,1397,59,57,58,12956,50,96456,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-402107","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-kingdom","8":"tag-barmouth","9":"tag-environment","10":"tag-gb","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-greatbritain","13":"tag-gwynedd","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-north-wales-beaches","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom","18":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=402107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/402108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=402107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=402107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=402107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Kye](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_AFRDPR290126BarmouthDefences_04.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Using](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_AFRDPR290126BarmouthDefences_02.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_AFRDPW220424RockRescue_07.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Proposed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_AFRDPR290126BarmouthUpgrade.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Projected](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_AFRDPR290126BarmouthDefences.jpg\")
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