A major part of a £700,000 drainage project in Ystalyfera which will reduce the flood risk to residents of the Varteg Estate has now been completed.

While further improvement and reinstatement work continues, a new 140 metre culvert connection is now in place and providing drainage for the estate.

It is expected the scheme, which began in Autumn this year, will be completed early next year by Neath Port Talbot Council’s contractors for the project, Jones Brothers (Henllan Ltd).

The Welsh Government funded work, aimed at stopping surface water backing up in Varteg Road during periods of high rainfall, will not only benefit the Varteg Estate but also the surrounding community.

Cllr Mike Harvey, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Engineering, said: “We are delighted to announce the main part of this vital project has now been completed.

“The scheme in Varteg Road, where a number of surface flooding incidents have been experienced in recent years, is part of the council’s ongoing flood mitigation measures across the county borough being carried out in partnership with the Welsh Government.

“The Welsh Government’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) strategy, which Neath Port Talbot Council is helping to deliver locally, provides a long term vision of how we can better protect and prepare homes and businesses from flooding and coastal erosion across Wales."