Storm-battered Aberystwyth mops up and aims to bounce back

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/09/storm-aberystwyth-cleanup

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Sitting, looking out of a bay window in the Richmond hotel, on Aberystwyth's storm-battered promenade, the establishment's owner, Richard Griffiths, was in an optimistic mood.

Yes, the road outside remained a mess of gritty sand, broken pavement and twisted metal railings. Admittedly, the much-loved 1920s beach shelter looked as if it was about to topple at any moment, and lower-floor windows of the handsome seaside villas were patched with chipboard.

"But I see this as an opportunity," said Griffiths, whose family have operated the Richmond for more than four decades. "Think of all the publicity we've had. People who had never heard of Aberystwyth before will be coming to have a look. And they'll discover what a stunning place it is. This promenade is the jewel of mid-Wales.

"It's a mesmerising place. Whether it's the middle of summer and packed or empty and you can just gaze at the ever-changing sea. Right now it's bustling with people – not just workers but visitors. You've got to be positive."

The waves crashing on to the promenade at Aberystwyth will remain one of the images of the great storm of 2014. Twice residents were evacuated as the sea smashed over the road and into the Richmond and neighbouring buildings.

The relentlessness of the storm dismantled walkways and railings, but it was one single giant wave that caused the most damage to the hotels and homes, sending water spilling into ground floors and basements.

"It hit my bay window halfway up – about 6ft above pavement level," said Griffiths. Happily for him, the Victorian sash windows held firm. "The water we got seeped in through the front door. I didn't sandbag it because I didn't think the sea would get that far. I'm eating humble pie for that."

A little further down at the Helmsman guesthouse, where the windows did not work as well and water poured into the lower floors, Alison Evans was picking up the pieces. "We've been devastated," she said. "We're waiting for the surveyors to come in and assess the damage before we can see what the insurers say.

"But at the moment we're just trying to dry the place out. It could be a while before we're up and running again. To think it was one rogue wave that did this."

A striking feature is the very different experiences neighbours had. So while Evans is mopping up, a few doors down, nursing care assistant Jeremy Vines' ground-floor flat remained completely dry. "I was evacuated twice and I came back wondering what I was going to face. But I've escaped without any problems," he said. Evans thinks he may have been protected by the shelter. "I've always liked the shelter – I like it more now."

On Thursday dozens of workers were continuing to clean up. Thousands of tonnes of sand was being sifted and shifted – it is full of broken bits of rock and concrete, so cannot simply be moved back on to the beach. The hope is that the road in front of the terrace will be fully reopened within a few days, but it will take much longer to get the promenade, first opened in 1820, back into use.

Ellen ap Gwynn, the leader of Ceredigion county council, said the aim was to open the promenade by Easter Monday. But there can be no firm promises – engineers have not yet had time to fully assess the extent of the structural damage.

What is clear is that the cleanup and repair bill will run into the millions of pounds. "There's the short-term cleanup, the medium-term restoration, and longer term we need to do work on flood defences," said ap Gwynn. And Ceredigion does not just have Aberystwyth to worry about. It has 50 miles of coast, from Borth in the north to Cardigan in the south, to survey and in some cases restore.

Ap Gwynn, a Plaid Cymru councillor, said she hoped the UK Treasury might help out. But she may be out of luck: in response to questions from Welsh peers in the Lords, the communities minister Baroness Stowell of Beeston said it was down to the devolved Welsh government to find any extra funds.

Meanwhile, businesses in Aberystwyth not directly harmed by the storm were trying to get back to normal. At the tackle and bait shop, Basil Coates was finding trade very quiet. "It's perfect fishing conditions. There will be some nice codling there but nobody can get near the sea because of the condition of the beach," he said.

Ian Richards, licensee of the Glengower Hotel, said about 20 people had cancelled rooms since the storm struck. "We tell them that the place is open but they are saying they'll give it a miss. At this time of year that sort of loss is a big problem for us."

Aberystwyth's mayor, Wendy Morris-Twiddy, said the town would bounce back. "Everyone is pulling together, we've had so many offers from people wanting to volunteer to help. I think it's made us look again at what is around us and what is precious to us. You only do that when you are close to losing it all."

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