A PROJECT worth nearly £6million that will protect the Hirael area of Bangor from the effects of coastal flooding and improve recreational resources has been completed.

For the past 10 months, Gwynedd Council engineers have been responsible for the work to install new flood gates and walls; raising the level of the promenade and creating a new slipway; and creating a cycle path and other recreational resources in the area.

The work is designed to protect nearly 200 domestic and commercial properties in this area of Bangor from coastal flooding – a problem likely to be exacerbated as the sea level rises and as extreme weather becomes more common, due to climate change.

The work was funded through Welsh Government's Coastal Risk Management Programme.

Chair of Gwynedd Council, Beca Roberts, unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.

Cllr Berwyn Parry Jones, the council’s cabinet member for highways, engineering and consultancy department, said: "This important work mitigates flood risk in the Hirael area of Bangor and benefits the whole community.

"I'm sure local people will benefit as well from the recreational improvements that have been made as a result of the work, including the creation of a new path for walkers and cyclists and installing new benches around the promenade.

"The Wales Coast Path and the National Cycle Path go along the promenade, a stone's throw from Hirael, so this project is a great opportunity to improve links with these two important attractions."

"Once the work to improve the sewerage system in the area has been completed by Welsh Water, our officers will be able to return to Lon Traeth to finish minor works."

Welsh Government’s cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “It was fantastic to visit the Hirael Bay scheme which will reduce the risk of coastal flooding to nearly 200 homes and businesses.

“I saw firsthand how the scheme will also benefit the community by creating an active travel route, which connects the cycle route and coastal path from Eryri through to Bangor Pier.

“We’ve made significant investments to improve Wales' coastal defence infrastructure in recent years through our Coastal Risk Management Programme investment, with £291m worth of investment over five years and once all 15 schemes across Wales are finished will benefit almost 14,000 properties.”

As part of the project, engineers from Gwynedd Council's consultancy department have been to Ysgol Hirael to talk to the children about the impacts of climate change on communities and how engineering works, such as this project in Hirael, can protect infrastructure.

During the works, a fig-tree growing from the old sea wall at Hirael was moved under the supervision of arboriculture specialists to a spot south of the Lon Traeth east car park, conserving it for the future.