Llandinam community event to learn more about major river restoration plans

People living in Llandinam and the surrounding areas are invited to a public drop in event to find out more about plans to restore important habitat for wildlife on the River Severn.

The scheme by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) would see natural river processes restored along a section of the Severn at the Llandinam Gravels Nature Reserve and gravel beds reinstated and made more resilient which support invertebrates, wading birds and fish populations.

This will involve encouraging additional river channels to the main flow of the Severn, which has historically been straightened, by installing large pieces of wood to kick start natural recovery.

Current proposals are for work to begin on the scheme during summer 2025, subject to funding.

The project team from NRW will be holding a public drop in session on Monday 9 September, 2-7pm at Llandinam Village Hall, to provide an opportunity for local people to learn more about the proposals and to ask questions.

Dr. Suzanne Hearn, Freshwater Ecosystems and Fisheries Management Team Leader, Natural Resources Wales says:

“The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain and provides vital habitat for riverine wildlife including otters, dippers and dragonflies.

"However, at Llandinam, straightening and dredging of the river has reduced the area of gravel. Habitat loss is becoming increasingly challenging for many threatened species, including the iconic Salmon which relies on river gravel beds to lay eggs.

“Our ambitious river restoration programme aims to restore natural riverine features and processes to help reverse declining trends in biodiversity.  

“We appreciate that the community have many questions about our proposals, and we will be happy to discuss in more detail at our community drop in event next month.”

The scheme is funded by the Welsh Government Nature and Climate Emergency (NaCE) Capital Programme. The programme supports a number of environmental priorities including peatland restoration, metal mine remediation, fisheries, water quality and national forests.

NRW is aware that the village has unfortunately been subject to flooding in recent years. In a separate scheme, Powys County Council has installed a small earth bund to reduce flood risk to the village of Llandinam.

This habitat restoration project aims to deliver multiple benefits, creating a more resilient waterbody for people and nature.  

More information about the objectives and proposals for the river restoration scheme are available on NRW’s project website.