A SENEDD committee has blasted the Welsh Government for their “distinct lack of leadership” over the Fairbourne erosion situation.

The approach of the Welsh Government has left a National Assembly committee with grave concerns about elements of Wales’ strategy to tackle coastal flooding.

The Public Accounts Committee says there needs to be a clear recognition of the roles and responsibilities for all those involved in managing coastal flooding and that the pace of progress needs to increase across the country.

The Welsh Government “strongly disagrees” with the report’s findings.

Fairbourne has been the subject of a media frenzy over recent years after it became apparent that the village was regarded as one of the most severely threatened communities in Wales due to rising sea levels.

Gwynedd Council made the decision to safeguard the village for 40 years in 2016 but Fairbourne’s fate after this date is unclear.

The confusion over the community’s future has lead to many of the area’s properties dropping in price, with some homes even registering as ‘zero value’.

Although coastal flooding and erosion in Wales comes under the remit of a selection of organisations – such as NRW and Network Rail for instance – the committee determined that Welsh Government should take a stronger role in leading the project to protect Wales’ coastline.

“While there are many excellent people delivering on the ground, and a very resilient spirit amongst those faced with the worst of these problems, this does not excuse the lack of direction and leadership provided to date,” said Nick Ramsay AM, chair of the Public Accounts Committee.

“To ensure that the necessary decisions around managed realignment and risk management are taken, it is essential that leadership is provided.”

See this week’s north editions for the full story, in shops and online now