Councillor warns culvert collapse could leave Cwmbwrla at risk over Christmas

At the full council meeting on 6 November 2025, Cllr Peter Black CBE (Liberal Democrats, Cwmbwrla) told members that homes had once again been inundated after water levels rose higher than in previous floods. He cautioned that until the culvert is rebuilt, the risk of repeat flooding remains.

Black said one of the pumps failed early during the storm, leaving the council “without control of the situation,” and urged urgent measures to provide extra resilience for residents.

Praise for drainage and clean‑up teams

Other councillors acknowledged the scale of the challenge and praised highways and drainage staff for their response. Andrew Stevens (Labour, Gorseinon) said teams had been called in to deal with over 40,000 drains across Swansea, working through the night to keep roads open. Cllr Peter May (Uplands Party, Uplands) described their efforts as “A1,” noting floodwaters dissipated within hours thanks to their work.

Council Leader Rob Stewart (Labour, Morriston) also thanked staff, stressing that officers had worked “diligently” to keep services running during the storm.

Their praise echoed earlier coverage by Swansea Bay News, which reported how council teams worked through the night to clear debris and reopen the Cwmbwrla roundabout following the floods. The clean‑up operation was described as “superb,” with staff ensuring the busy junction was made safe for traffic again.

Collapsed culvert at Cwmfelin Club

Council Leader Rob Stewart (Labour, Morriston) stressed that the repeated flooding at Cwmbwrla was not caused by blocked drains but by the collapsed culvert on private land near the Cwmfelin Club:

“There is a specific issue relating to a collapsed culvert on private land. It cannot handle the water it would normally take away from that area.”

Cllr Peter Black CBE (Liberal Democrats, Cwmbwrla) warned that the repair work will take months, leaving residents exposed to further risk if temporary pumps are overwhelmed:

“This is not going to be fixed before Christmas. This is not going to be fixed until January at the very earliest and it’s going to have more torrential rain events like that again. And we cannot sustain another flood like that in Cwmbwrla if we can help it.”

Wider impact across Swansea

Councillors noted flooding affected wards across the city, with leaf fall adding to the challenge of keeping gullies clear. Swansea Council has already urged residents to help by reporting hotspots where leaves are piling up on pavements and roads, as cleansing teams step up their seasonal clear‑up.

Over recent weeks, crews have removed hundreds of tonnes of leaves across the city, with extra resources diverted from other cleansing work to keep drains clear and footpaths safe. A new leaf‑sucking and mulching machine is being used to vacuum up large piles of leaves and shred them into mulch for disposal — allowing teams to cover more ground more quickly.

Cllr Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said the new kit would help crews lift even more leaves efficiently, but warned:

“It only takes a couple of days of wind and rain to see a further build‑up, particularly in areas with lots of trees.”

Residents are being encouraged to report problem areas directly to the cleansing team so they can be prioritised for clearance.

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#blockedDrains #CllrAndrewStevens #CllrPeterBlack #CllrPeterMay #CllrRobStewart #culvert #Cwmbwrla #cwmbwrlaFlooding #CwmbwrlaRoundabout #CwmfelinSocialCLub #flooding #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil

Council blames collapsed culvert — not drains — for Cwmbwrla flooding

Heavy duty pumps ‘overwhelmed’

In a Facebook post, the council said the culvert lies around 12 metres below the surface and remains the responsibility of the club’s representatives to repair. While demolition of the building is almost complete, the next stage will be to excavate and fix the culvert.

In the meantime, the council has deployed heavy duty pumping equipment to divert water at the blockage point. But it admitted that during periods of heavy rainfall, such as this week, the pumps “can become overwhelmed and simply cannot cope with the volume of water flowing beneath the road.”

Public frustration acknowledged

The authority said it understood public anger at repeated flooding at the roundabout, but stressed its intervention could only have “limited impact” until the culvert is repaired.

“This situation will only be resolved when the private culvert has been unblocked and repaired, allowing water to flow freely through the network. Until then, the location remains at risk of further flooding during severe weather,” the council said.

Drains not to blame, says council

The council also rejected suggestions that blocked gullies or drains were behind the flooding. It said all watercourses in the immediate area had been checked and cleared, and would continue to be maintained.

Roundabout remains closed

The roundabout remains shut to traffic, with diversions in place. The council said it would provide further updates on reopening once conditions allowed.

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Demolition of Cwmfelin Social Club begins after two years on edge of giant sinkhole

Video captured by local resident Matthew Waring shows heavy machinery tearing into the building, while footage shared by Cllr Peter Black confirms the start of works.

Cllr Black said: “Work has started demolishing the Cwmfelin Club so that the culvert and sewer can be repaired.”

From small hole to major disruption

The club shut suddenly in August 2023 when what was first thought to be a small hole in the car park revealed a vast cavity beneath. Investigations later confirmed a collapsed culvert carrying Burlais Brook, along with the remains of a disused tramline and sewer, running directly under the site.

Since then, the sinkhole has been blamed for repeated flooding on Heol y Gors and at the roundabout, where cars were submerged, homes and businesses inundated, and residents even rescued by boat during September’s storms.

Calls for action

Local councillors, including Peter Black, have long warned that permanent repairs to the culvert could not begin until the club was demolished.

Council leader Rob Stewart confirmed last month that the authority had written to the club seeking details of recent works, after emergency pumps were deployed to keep water levels down.

Welsh Water has said it cannot access the collapsed culvert until demolition is complete, while Network Rail has also raised concerns about the site’s proximity to key infrastructure.

Emotional loss for the community

For members, the demolition is bittersweet. Club chairman Mike Kennedy previously said he was “really disappointed” but accepted that demolition was the only way to allow engineers to assess and fix the problem.

Local resident Mark Boyce described the loss as deeply personal: “I’ll be in tears when this comes down. My mother’s soul is in there — she was a cleaner for 25 years and I used to come every weekend.”

What happens next

With the building now coming down, engineers will finally be able to inspect the collapsed culvert and sewer beneath the site. The cost of repairs has been estimated at anywhere from £1 million upwards, though the true figure will only be known once the ground is exposed.

In the meantime, emergency pumping equipment remains in place to protect the roundabout and surrounding homes from further flooding.

Demolition captured on video

Two perspectives of the demolition have been shared from the scene.

Local resident Matthew Waring filmed the moment heavy machinery began tearing into the roof of the Cwmfelin Social Club, capturing the dramatic first strikes as the building came down.

Meanwhile, Cllr Peter Black posted his own footage, confirming that work had officially started. He said: “Work has started demolishing the Cwmfelin Club so that the culvert and sewer can be repaired.”

Together, the clips show both the community’s view of the demolition and the political significance of the works, which are seen as a vital step towards tackling the flooding problems linked to the collapsed culvert beneath the site.

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Council points to Cwmfelin club sinkhole works after Cwmbwrla flooding

The authority says the repairs, completed in the club’s car park where a giant sinkhole first appeared two years ago, may be linked to the severe flooding which left the busy Cwmbwrla roundabout under water and forced the closure of surrounding roads.

Dozens of homes and businesses were affected, while cars were submerged and traffic chaos spread across the city.

Council action

Council leader Rob Stewart confirmed the authority has contacted the club for information about the work.

“Cwmfelin Social Club closed due to a sinkhole two years ago and the club appointed contractors to demolish the club. The contractors have recently filled the sinkhole. We have had no issues in the last two years with flooding in the area, while pumping equipment has been doing its job. We have today written to the club seeking details of the works their contractors completed.”

The council says its own culverts and gulleys in the area were inspected and cleared before the weekend’s heavy rain.

Welsh Water waiting on demolition

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) has said it cannot access the collapsed culvert and foul sewer system beneath the club until demolition is completed. The council has urged the club and its contractors to engage with DCWW “as a matter of urgency” to speed up the process.

In the meantime, emergency pumping equipment remains in place on the inbound carriageway to keep water levels down.

Cllr Stewart added:

“We are doing everything we can and are working with DCWW to increase the temporary pumping equipment on‑site to help reduce flood waters. This means the in‑bound traffic is still restricted and we apologise for the inconvenience caused, but our priority has to be to reduce the threat of flooding until the culvert can be repaired.”

Long‑running saga

The sinkhole first opened up in 2023, forcing the closure of the club and displacing hundreds of members. Since then, the collapsed culvert beneath the site has been repeatedly linked to flooding on Heol y Gors and at the Cwmbwrla roundabout2.

Local councillor Peter Black has previously warned that the culvert collapse has blocked the watercourse, causing water to back up and overwhelm drains during heavy rain.

Despite repeated calls for action, the club remains standing and demolition has yet to be completed. Residents have expressed frustration at the lack of progress, warning that the community has lost a much‑loved social hub while also facing repeated disruption from flooding.

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Cwmbwrla flooding: roundabout reopens but residents face long recovery

Roads and pumps still in place

Swansea Council confirmed on Wednesday morning that Cwmbwrla roundabout remains open, with pumping equipment continuing to divert water away from a damaged culvert near Cwmfelin Social Club.

At present, both inbound lanes of the A483 Carmarthen Road between Cwmbwrla roundabout and the Gors Avenue junction remain closed to city‑bound traffic. The highway is being used to accommodate large pumps that are keeping water levels under control.

In a statement issued on Facebook, the council said:

“Understandably, many of you are probably wondering why the route into the city centre remains closed to traffic.

At present, the highway is being used to accommodate large pumping equipment that is helping to divert water away from the damaged culvert located at the Cwmfelin Social Club. This is also to allow for the removal and replacement of the damaged pumping equipment as a consequence of the flooding. Without these in place, we could suffer further flooding, particularly with more heavy rainfall overnight.

When this is done, we will be able to reopen one lane of Carmarthen Road to allow traffic into the city centre.

Heol y Gors remains fully closed to traffic.

Our highways teams and partner agencies have been working day and night to ensure everything is back to normal as quickly as possible.

Many thanks for your patience.”

Families forced from their homes

For residents, the impact has been devastating. Nigel Davies and his 80‑year‑old father Ian were rescued by boat from their home of half a century after water poured through their front door on Sunday afternoon.

Nigel described watching his fridge float through the kitchen as floodwater rose to thigh height. His father, who is bedbound, was carried to safety by emergency crews.

“My father has lived in that house for 50 years, it’s where he built a family. All of his memories of my mother are wrapped up in that house. It was really, really difficult for him to see what had happened,” Nigel said.

The pair are now in temporary accommodation, but with complex accessibility needs and insurance assessments still ongoing, it could be months before they return home.

Businesses counting the cost

Along Mansel Terrace, businesses have also been left reeling. QV Vehicle Hire and neighbouring garages reported severe damage, with equipment, tools and stock destroyed.

Owner Malcolm Perrin said:

“They are small businesses, they rely on everyday trade. They’ve still got to pay wages and bills but they’ve got nothing coming in. Nobody has come around to give them any assistance.”

With power still out in parts of the area, many traders remain unable to reopen.

Cause of the flooding

Council leader Rob Stewart said the flooding was linked to a collapsed culvert on private land near Cwmfelin Social Club.

“A number of pumps have been deployed on site to help remove the water from this location and we are working to ensure this busy route is reopened as soon as possible,” he said.

Welsh Water confirmed the culvert is not owned or maintained by the company, but said its teams had been working “round the clock” to restore services and clean up the area.

A long‑running issue

As Swansea Bay News previously reported, the collapsed Burlais Brook culvert beneath Cwmfelin Social Club has been at the centre of repeated flooding and road closures. Councillors have warned that permanent repairs cannot begin until the club is demolished — a process expected to take months.

During Sunday’s flooding, cars were submerged at the roundabout, buses were diverted, and emergency crews deployed boats to rescue residents. Social media even showed people paddleboarding through the floodwater.

Community support

Despite the devastation, neighbours and friends have rallied. A fundraising page set up for Nigel and his father has already attracted donations, though Nigel says he hopes to pass the money on to other charities if insurance covers the damage.

“The fact that people have looked at the situation and felt they could put their hands in their pocket is touching, and it makes a huge psychological difference,” he said.

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Cwmbwrla roundabout closure set to continue into early hours as clean‑up continues

Local councillor Peter Black said it was “likely that the roundabout will not be open again tonight” and urged drivers to use alternative routes to avoid the heavy congestion seen during Monday’s morning rush hour.

The junction – one of Swansea’s busiest – was left under several feet of water after torrential rain over the weekend, submerging cars and forcing emergency services to close all approaches.

Council: flooding linked to collapsed culvert on private land

In its latest statement, Swansea Council said it was continuing to support Welsh Water in efforts to remove the flood water.

“Prior to the severe weather during the weekend, the council ensured that a nearby watercourse and council‑maintained culvert were cleared,” a spokesperson said.

“We believe the flooding at Cwmbwrla over the weekend is linked to a previously collapsed culvert on private land which is not owned or maintained by the council.

A number of pumps have been deployed on site to help remove the water from this location and we are working to ensure this busy route is reopened as soon as possible. Once the water levels have been reduced, there will be a need to keep the route closed for a short period to carry out safety inspections and a clean‑up of the road surface.”

Motorists are being urged to continue avoiding the area while the work continues.

Long‑running culvert issue

The collapsed culvert – beneath the Cwmfelin Social Club – has been at the centre of a long‑running infrastructure problem in the area. As Swansea Bay News has previously reported, local councillors have linked it to repeated flooding and road closures on Heol y Gors and at Cwmbwrla roundabout.

You can read our earlier coverage of the weekend’s flooding here.

#CllrPeterBlack #culvert #Cwmbwrla #CwmbwrlaRoundabout #CwmfelinSocialCLub #flooding #Sinkhole #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaFlooding #WelshWater

Cwmbwrla Roundabout closed after cars submerged in flood water – councillor links chaos to collapsed culvert

The A483 junction was completely impassable from Sunday afternoon, with South Wales Police diverting traffic via Pentregethin Road. First Cymru buses rerouted several services, and Swansea Council warned drivers to avoid the area.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service sent specialist crews with a boat to the scene, while videos on social media showed some people paddleboarding – and even swimming – in the murky floodwater.

Council: culvert couldn’t cope with downpour

Swansea Council said early investigations suggest a nearby culvert was unable to cope with the sustained volume of water during the severe downpours. The authority is working with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to determine the exact cause.

The flooding also forced the closure of the nearby CREST Mental Health Service on Monday, with hopes it could reopen the following day.

Possible link to Cwmfelin Club sinkhole

Local councillor Peter Black said the incident is likely connected to the long‑running collapse of the Burlais Brook culvert beneath the Cwmfelin Social Club – a site Swansea Bay News has previously reported is due to be demolished so repairs can take place.

In a Facebook exchange with residents, Cllr Black explained that the culvert collapse has blocked the watercourse, causing water to back up along Heol y Gors and force its way out through manholes. A temporary pump installed on the brook “clearly can’t cope with this rain,” he said.

Residents voice frustration

Some residents complained about blocked drains and a lack of urgency in tackling drainage problems along Heol y Gors, warning that the road had already been closed for months due to water damage. Others questioned how far the culvert collapse could be responsible for flooding higher up the hill.

Cllr Black said the repair work cannot begin until the Cwmfelin Club is demolished – a process he warned will take months – but stressed he is pressing for progress.

Severe weather across Wales

The flooding came amid a Met Office yellow weather warning for strong winds and heavy rain across Wales. Gusts of up to 66mph were recorded in Gwynedd, with power cuts affecting hundreds of homes and travel disruption reported on roads and bridges.

Natural Resources Wales issued multiple flood alerts, and emergency services dealt with fallen trees and other weather‑related incidents.

#A483 #CllrPeterBlack #culvert #Cwmbwrla #CwmbwrlaRoundabout #CwmfelinSocialCLub #featured #flooding #MidAndWestWalesFireAndRescueService #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaFlooding #WelshWater

Stonehenge has its beams
Solstice-aligned passages
We have our culvert

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April 14, 2025

「えるしつているか このマンションのましたは あんきょなんだ」

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Final leg of Bloomington stormwater project to affect status of downtown Kirkwood this summer

https://bsquarebulletin.com/2024/01/30/final-leg-of-bloomington-stormwater-project-to-affect-status-of-downtown-kirkwood-this-summer/

@bloomington_in

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Port And Starboard gate-posts of a Sailor's Driveway, MINE!

#FlotsamAndJetsam #Shoreline #NavigationBuoy #Culvert #Beach #WildIslands #Exploring

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10 முக்கிய சாலை குறுக்குவெட்டு சாலைகளில் நவீன முறையில் வடிகால் பணிகள்! மாநகராட்சி அதிகாரிகள் தகவல்…
https://patrikai.com/drainage-works-in-a-modern-technology-on-10-major-road-intersections-corporation-officials-information/ via @Patrikaidotcom@twitter.com

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During construction of the new Garston Way bypass (A561) back in the early 1980’s. An old culvert of the old Garston River was discovered on ‘Church Road’. The discovery was made where the new Garston Way bypass bridge was being built. The culvert is thought to have been one of Liverpool’s ancient rivers, the old Garston Brook. The original stone arch can be clearly seen here in these images.

Newspaper article reporting the discovery of the old Garston River Culvert, from the Liverpool Echo, Thursday 4th November 1982. Curtesy of The British Newspaper Archive.

These photographs were originally taken with my Ricoh XR7, on 35mm negative film. In order to be able to photograph the culvert before it would be lost once again, it was necessary to photograph over the top of the barrier surrounding the worksite.

Sections from two old maps of Garston, showing the course of the old Garston Brook. The first of the maps, on the Left : Lancashire Sheet CXIII Surveyed: 1846 to 1864 & Published: 1850 and a slightly later map on the Right: Lancashire Sheet CXIII.SE Surveyed: 1888 to 1891 & Published: 1894 both maps show the original River, with features along it’s length. Followed by the changes that occurred to the brook and it’s visibility as the years passed. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Old culvert, believed to be originally built for the ancient Garston Brook, exposed in the 1980’s, during the construction of the New Garston Bypass.

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