Gwynedd Council earmarks £16m for Barmouth flood defence and schools
Gwynedd Council allocates £1.49m to a £35m sea‑defence scheme and £583k to a school project, reshaping capital spending after cost overruns.
Gwynedd Council has approved a £16 million capital package to fund a sea‑defence scheme on the North Promenade in Barmouth and to plug funding gaps in two school projects.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting on 13 October after the council’s Asset Plan, adopted in July 2024, revealed surplus capital funding beyond the Local Government Settlement.
Cabinet agreed to allocate £1.49 million to the North Promenade flood‑prevention project, closing a shortfall in a scheme that now faces a cost far higher than originally forecast.
When first considered, the flood‑defence work required a 15 per cent contribution towards an estimated £23 million, but a new report says the likely cost has risen to around £35 million.
“Following work to develop the scheme, the likely cost appears to be much higher and closer to £35m.”
“As the cost is not final, we should be trying to earmark a contribution towards a scheme of around £35m, which is £5.25m.”
The council’s contribution will bring its total commitment on the flood‑defence to £5.25 million, supplementing the £30 million already pledged by other partners.
In the education arena, cabinet approved a £583,000 top‑up for the Ysgol Bontnewydd project after the Welsh Government’s £15 million grant proved insufficient.
The new eco‑friendly school now carries a price tag of £17.67 million, meaning the council must meet 35 per cent of the additional cost.
Technical factors such as prolonged inflation and higher‑than‑expected temporary accommodation costs have driven the rise.
Cabinet also earmarked £6.86 million and £4.11 million for the rolling Sustainable Schools programme, aimed at modernising learning environments across the county.
In a separate move, the council decided to de‑commit £3.5 million from a planned Health and Care Hub – Canolfan Lleu – after partners withdrew from the joint development.
The health board and a housing association will continue a smaller‑scale scheme, but the council will not participate, freeing the capital for other priorities.
Overall, the £16 million package reflects Gwynedd’s effort to balance urgent coastal protection with long‑term educational investment, while navigating rising construction costs and shifting partnership dynamics.