Most of the plans outlined by a council to prevent future flooding like that seen in Abergavenny and Monmouth last November will be contingent on adequate funding from the Welsh Government, a Senedd Member has said.

Last week, The Chronicle reported that Monmouthshire Council had outlined its new Local Flood Risk Management Strategy in the wake of the devastation Storm Claudia brought to the county in 2025. Homes and businesses across the county were left under water on the night of Friday November 14 and some have yet to reopen, while the events forced others to close permanently.

However, Peter Fox MS has now said that while he welcomes the new measures taken by Monmouthshire Council, they are heavily reliant on support from the Welsh Government. The Conservative also questioned why it has taken so long to bring forward the changes, given that nine months had elapsed since the terrible events.

“I was pleased to see this strategy being approved, but we must ensure there is adequate funding to deal with these issues,” he said.

“We know that Wales is often stuck in a cycle of funding and bureaucracy, but this has to be broken if we are to ensure our communities are properly protected.”

“We cannot keep patching up homes and lives after every flood. We need long-term investment in resilience and infrastructure.”

“With winter well on the way, too many people in Monmouthshire and Torfaen will be fearful of what the bad weather will bring. Lets get this right, and tackle the problem head on.”

Mr Fox has now written to the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llyr Gruffydd MS, to commit to additional flood funding for the area, adding the local authorities are being asked to deliver ‘increasingly ambitious’ flood resilience programmes.

The plan outlined by Monmouthshire Council must now be submitted to the Welsh Government for its approval.