Work has started on a £300,000 flood alleviation scheme in Wyesham.

The scheme will see existing culverts and drains repaired and cleaned, helping a new system take surface water running off the Kymin away from the houses most at risk.

The majority of the work will take place in the Highmeadow/ Blake Street area as the county council looks to protect the 80 or so houses it has identified as being at risk.

Work started on Monday (14th January) and the project is expected to take eight weeks to complete.

It will be funded to the tune of £258,000 by the Welsh Government while a further £91,000 comes from the European Regional Development Fund.  The balance of funding will be provided by the council.

Wyesham's county councillor Liz Hacket Pain was involved in an unsuccessful bid for funding from the Welsh Government four years ago.

"We are so happy to have found support from them this time around," she said.

"I have great sympathy for anyone who has been affected by flooding – it is a horrific thing to go through and it makes you nervous about the prospect of it happening again.

"This is great news for Wyesham."

Monmouthshire County Council's cabinet member for modernisation, enterprise and communications, Councillor Bob Greenland said: "I am very pleased and relieved for residents that this work will go ahead.

"It has been very sad to see people's houses and property being flooded and it's wonderful to see this being resolved."

The contractor is Alun Griffiths Ltd of Abergavenny while the consultants who have designed the scheme and will supervise work are Martin Wright Associates of Chester.

Pictured left to right are: Roger Harris, Roger Hoggins, Cllr Liz Hacket Pain and Martin Evans.