The petition of residents of the constituency of the Vale of Clwyd,
Declares that the maintenance of the Rhyl Cut and Prestatyn Gutter should be the responsibility of Natural Resources Wales, Denbighshire County Council and connected public sector bodies; further that existing riparian ownership should not prevent the creation of an effective system of oversight; and further that the current ineffective management of this local waterway results in significant environmental blight.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take immediate action to ensure that a full public sector maintenance programme is introduced to manage the Rhyl Cut and Prestatyn Gutter.
And the petitioners remain, etc. —[Presented by Dr James Davies , Official Report, 14 July 2021; Vol. 699, c. 487 .]
[P002677]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Rebecca Pow):
The Government would like to thank the petitioners for raising the issue of maintenance of the Rhyl Cut and Prestatyn Gutter.
The Government do not have responsibility for operational matters, including maintenance, on the waterways as this usually sits with either individual navigation authorities who have a duty to manage and operate their waterways; or riparian landowners, who may own the banks or the bed of the river. In this case additionally the broader issue of oversight of waterways maintenance would be a devolved issue for the Welsh Government.