CONCERNS have been raised that flooding will once again threaten homes and livelihoods in Porthmadog.

Porthmadog councillors Alwyn Gruffydd and Jason Humphreys are calling for an immediate overhaul of the area’s 200-year-old drainage system.

The pair say their concerns are not being taken seriously and that no real progress will be done by flood management agencies before the winter.

Flash floods caused devastation in December in Tremadog and forced landlady Peta Panter to close her pub, The Union Inn, for four months due to the damage.

Cllr Gruffydd said: “There are four different agencies responsible for flood management in the Glaslyn River catchment area. What exactly is being planned between these agencies all depends on who you talk to.”

The two councillors have attended several meetings and site visits with representatives from Gwynedd Council, Natural Resources Wales, Welsh Government and Welsh Water, as well as the farming community, but say they are no closer to knowing any certain flood management details.

“What we do know is that drains throughout the area have collapsed, that ditches integral to the area’s drainage system are blocked due to a lack of regular maintenance and that the main sluice gates, that control the flow of the Glaslyn River, have been working 20 per cent under capacity for the last 12 months,” added Cllr Humphreys.

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