South Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding
A row of homes in a village in south Wales is to be bought by a local authority and demolished as they can no longer be protected from flooding caused by the climate crisis.
It will cost Rhondda Cynon Taf county borough council more than £2.5m to buy the 16 riverside properties, pay for legal costs and help to rehouse dozens of residents.
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They said that when Storm Dennis hit in 2020 , water from the nearby river, Nant Clydach, came into homes so fast that some people had to swim for safety.
Some homes were left with almost two metres (6.5ft) of water in their downstairs rooms and it has been either impossible or very expensive for them to obtain insurance.
The decision by the council’s cabinet on Monday comes as people across western Britain continue to be battered by repeated pulses of heavy rain and strong winds , causing some politicians and experts to warn that more homes will have to be abandoned because of the climate breakdown.
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