River plans will protect wildlife, says government agency.

Parts of the River Severn in the flood plain around Llandinam could be altered to help protect natural wildlife habitat.

A government agency is to hold a public meeting in the village which sits alongside the river and is prone to flooding.

Natural Resources Wales, part of the Welsh Government, wants to restore "important habitat for wildlife" on a section close to the village.

A statement said: "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.

A project team from NRW will be holding a public drop in session on Monday, 9th September, between 2pm-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, said: “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.