How floods are making it harder for small businesses in Pontypridd
Jeffrey and Simon, who work in Pontypridd town centre for shops that both lost around £20,000 in the Storm Bert flooding late last year, tell us how the weather has impacted them
Listen to Jeffrey and Simon’s stories:
We went to the South Wales valleys at the end of last year to speak to some people about the impact of the flooding caused by Storm Bert in late 2024. Mill Street in Pontypridd was completely washed out - all of the units were flooded, and since the Storm Dennis damage in 2020 there’s no available insurance. We spoke to Jeffrey Baxter, the co-owner of Storyville Books on Mill Street, about his plan for the future of the business in such a hostile environment. Despite the likelihood of the floods recurring, he’s driven to continue as he loves the community he’s built around the business. Simon, an employee at Toper Crispy, told us about how difficult it is to keep a fish and chip shop open when the fryer is so expensive and vulnerable to water damage.
[Simon didn’t want to give his second name or be photographed, so all the images here are from Storyville Books.]
Listen on your device:
Apple Podcasts
Soundcloud
Spotify
Subscribe to automatically download new episodes!
“You can’t get flood insurance in Pontypridd because of previous floods … and I expect that’s the same for lots of different towns that have had similar issues.”
“We’ve made a decision that were a Pontyridd business. There are very particular challenges specific to the valleys … but we’ve decided we’ll just carry on as best we can and try to future proof … we love this community and we’re just going to have to try to mitigate some of those effects … it’s stressful but you’ve got to still try to live your life.”
“It’s a more chaotic weather system … I think we’ve ended up with a storm season that we’ve not really had before … this is, in reality, going to be every two or three years. Every year we get pretty strong weather that’s a lot stronger than it’s been.”
“A certain volume of water will cause chaos, no matter what you build. You can build the walls as big as you like … it doesn’t matter because if the water gets higher and higher it will do the damage it is going to do.”
Keep posted. We’ll email you when new episodes arrive:
Hear the Show!
Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to download the show to your device:
Apple Podcasts
Soundcloud
Spotify
Follow us
Show updates, additional content, and other insights:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Bluesky
TikTok
Stories From Round Our Way. Everyday conversations with people impacted by climate change.