A farming union has slammed an environmental agency for failing to stop what it has described as “preventable flooding” across swathes of Anglesey flatlands.

According to the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW), parts of central and southern Anglesey are continuing to regularly flood due to “inaction” on the part of Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Landowners across Cors Malltraeth, which covers largely reclaimed flatlands and marshlands between Llangefni and Malltraeth, say they had to race to rescue animals and their livelihoods from the flooded wetlands as a result of last week’s first big storms of winter.

The area – deemed an Internal Drainage District – is protected by a dyke and a series of ditches and floodgates which are opened to release floodwater from the river Cefni, but closed to protect the land from the ravages of high tides in the winter.

But while they currently pay annual rates to NRW for maintaining the ditches and the river, they claim that the dredging has been reduced to just cutting the vegetation back, leaving less room for the water to flow and leading to flooding every year.

Organising a “lively” open air meeting at Cob Malltraeth last week, farmers delivered a robust ‘enough is enough’ message to NRW.

According to envionmental chiefs maintaining and improving the Afon Ceint embankment, which mainly protects agricultural land, “can’t currently be prioritised over protecting communities most at risk.”

But with the meeting attended by Anglesey Council officers as well as the local MS, Rhun ap Iorwerth, concerns have also been raised over the stretch of the A5 at nearby Pentre Berw.

While the Malltraeth estuary once stretched as far inland as Llangefni, a 1790 Act of Parliament launched a period of land reclamation on the marsh.

Resulting in the building of embankments and digging of drainage ditches during the 19th century, the Afon Cefni was redirected and canalised and the famous Cob Malltraeth was constructed before being later renovated during the mid 20th century.

FUW Anglesey county executive officer, Alaw Jones, said: “The problem is twofold – the clearing of the ditches and riverbed and the operation of the floodgates.

“Until recently NRW used to clear the ditches and dredge the rivers much sooner in the season but now they say they don’t have the budget.

“This is ruining farmers’ livelihoods and is flooding food producing, quality land out of production.”

Added that the farmers are “desperate” to fix the problem, they have even offered to pull together to rebuild the 2017 created breaches in the banks of the river Ceint, which flows into the Cefni.

But she claimed that NRW are refusing to grant them the necessary licences to work on the land.

“Members can be assured that we will continue to raise issues such as these on their behalf to ensure the problems are addressed,” she concluded.

In response Dylan Williams, Operations Manager for NRW, said: “Our work to reduce flood risk is prioritised, as directed by Welsh Government, to protect people and their properties from flood risk.

“Maintaining and improving the Afon Ceint embankment, which mainly protects agricultural land, can’t currently be prioritised over protecting communities most at risk.

“As we develop options to reduce flood risk in Llangefni, the function of the Cefni embankment will be fully considered.

“Climate change is a reality and is impacting on us in many ways – drier summers, wetter winters, and more frequent storms.

“We are already considering what impact this will have on flood alleviation and how, as an organisation, we can help communities respond to these events.”