English: In 2009, the Assembly approved my proposal to introduce a backbench Bill, or what was known then as a legislative competence Order, to deal with flooding by curbing the use of hard surfaces around people's homes. That was one of the main recommendations of the Pitt review, given that almost 80 per cent of flooding was caused by surface water flooding, not by rivers overrunning and not by seas reaching the coastline. At the time, the UK Government was bringing forward its own legislation - the Flood and Water Management Bill - that overlapped with my LCO, so it fell by the wayside, but my interest did not fall by the wayside and neither has the problem. Just a couple of weeks ago, flash flooding once again disrupted communities across my region. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to 12 incidents in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. There were yellow weather warnings for the upper and lower Teifi, as well as the Taff and Cynon. Torrential overnight rain flooded parts of Talsarn, Lampeter, Llandysul and Newquay, and the Teifi's flood peak travelled downstream between Llanfair and Glan Teifi and the ford near Talgarth school was closed. Fields turned into floodplains affecting ponies and other livestock. There was traffic chaos on the A486, the A487, the A475 in Ceredigion and the B4333 between Aberporth and Newcastle Emlyn, as well as the A485 in Carmarthenshire and all the back roads around Beulah. And, there was flash flooding in north Pembrokeshire from St Dogmaels and Abercych to Llanfyrnach. I don't like to be a doomsayer, but it is only September. I was prompted to revisit the idea of the legislative route by a column that I read very recently in 'The Guardian' by Michele Hanson, entitled 'Why it's time to ban concrete in front gardens'. In it, she observed how a drive from London to Sussex had changed in the past 25 years, and I quote from it. She says that, 'the lovely green front gardens had nearly all disappeared and been turned into parking bays.' She said it's a scene that many of us here will recognise from our own communities, with more and more patios and conservatories paved over for gardens and also for parking. Nearly 5 million front gardens in the UK are now completely paved over and more and more disappear every single year. Actually, one of the first things that I did when I moved into my house 25 years ago was dig up the driveway and I planted a front garden with shrubs and flowers. Michele Hanson did exactly the same. She says that she 'used to have a concrete front garden, with no run-off, which flooded in heavy rains'. So she dug it out and planted magnolia and hollyhocks, and the flooding stopped. So, why not make it mandatory, she says, 'Better to have a sensible nanny state than a catastrophically flooded one. Do it yourself', she proposes, 'or the council nips round with a pneumatic drill and does it for you.' Now, I'm not actually going quite that far today in what I'm proposing, however, I do think she has a point. The effect of this - [Inaudible.] - is more rainwater ending up in sewers and drains, washing pollutants into our water courses. I spoke last week at the Assembly question time about river pollution from livestock farms going too often unpunished, and flash flooding creates exactly the same problem. But it's made worse by our changing weather patterns: the sort of very intense heavy downpours that we experience, the wetter winters that we have, and the estimates from climate scientists predicting that there will be only an increase in extreme rainfall over the next few decades. So, I'd like this opportunity to revisit my original LCO, and to look at what has changed since 2009, and why hasn't and whether the Assembly should look afresh at the need for tougher laws. And I think the most notable change in the intervening years has been the regulations that apply to building work that can be done without planning permission. In September 2013, new regulations did come into force in Wales restricting the type of material that can be used to cover the land in front of your house if it leads to a highway - and highways include public roads, footpaths, bridleways, and byways - but that basically brought us in line with England, where this had been the rule for a number of years. So, now, if you do want to lay or replace a hard surface at the front of your house, you have to use permeable or porous materials that allow water to soak away, or direct water from a hard surface like concrete to a permeable or porous area at the front of the house. But you are allowed to replace or repair up to 5 sq m of the existing hard surface without those restrictions, and I would suggest that, for most small, mid-terraced houses, that will result in those concrete and hard surfaces existing forever more. But there are no restrictions on laying patios or concrete paths and other areas of hard-standing at the back of your house - none whatsoever. I think, if we seriously want to do something about this, we really need to reconsider this oversight, because it is the case that most people have more land to the back of their houses than they do to the front. I think that we could, through regulation or beefing up the SuDS, or sustainable drainage, aspects of the 2015 Water Strategy for Wales, or by offering incentives to owners - carrots, as opposed to sticks. And I think that there would be public support for garden-greening proposals. Look at how, in recent years, people have started to recognise the importance of gardens as habitats for pollinators, for birds, and other wildlife. Across Britain, domestic gardens account for nearly 20 per cent of urban land use. So, there's a huge potential resource for delivering environmental goods. On the one hand, if we continue to concrete over more and more of that space, we are doing big environmental damage - . It's a matter of the future generations. We all have a responsibility to look after our own patch, but there is a role for Government as well. But, this Government, and successive Welsh Labour Governments, have prioritised flood prevention investment, with more than £240 million since 2012, and a further £47 million from European funding. And, thanks to that money, more than 12,000 properties across Wales are more secure, and, thanks to the deal the Welsh Government struck four years ago with the insurance industry, 64,000 properties at risk of flooding are guaranteed cover for 20 years, with a premium cap. That compares very favourably with what has happened in England. Earlier this year, in May, the Welsh Government published recommended non-statutory standards for sustainable drainage for designers, property developers, local authorities, and other interested parties, and it is considering whether to make those binding, as set out under Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2020. There are some ambitious projects that are already reducing surface water, and you will have heard many times me referring to the RainScape project in Llanelli. That had an investment of £113 million, and it's an excellent collaboration between Natural Resources Wales and Dŵr Cymru, and there are other projects, like Greener Grangetown. So, I do think that the time has come for us to recognise that the back garden does need to be looked at and that we can create a habitat that will sustain us for the future.
Welsh: Yn 2009, cymeradwyodd y Cynulliad fy nghynnig i gyflwyno Bil meinciau cefn, neu'r hyn a elwid ar y pryd yn orchymyn cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol, i ymdrin â llifogydd drwy ffrwyno'r defnydd o arwynebau caled o amgylch cartrefi pobl. Dyna oedd un o brif argymhellion adolygiad Pitt, o ystyried bod bron i 80 y cant o lifogydd yn cael eu hachosi gan lifogydd dŵr wyneb, nid gan afonydd yn gorlifo na moroedd yn cyrraedd y morlin. Ar y pryd, roedd Llywodraeth y DU yn cyflwyno ei deddfwriaeth ei hun - y Bil Rheoli Llifogydd a Dŵr - a oedd yn gorgyffwrdd gyda fy ngorchymyn cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol, felly fe syrthiodd ar ymyl y ffordd, ond ni syrthiodd fy niddordeb ar ymyl y ffordd, na'r broblem chwaith. Ychydig wythnosau'n ôl yn unig, fe wnaeth fflachlifoedd darfu unwaith eto ar gymunedau ar draws fy rhanbarth. Galwyd criwiau Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru i 12 o ddigwyddiadau yn Sir Gaerfyrddin a Cheredigion. Cafwyd rhybuddion tywydd melyn ar gyfer rhannau uchaf ac isaf afon Teifi, yn ogystal ag afon Taf ac afon Cynon. Achosodd glaw trwm dros nos lifogydd mewn rhannau o Dalsarn, Llanbedr Pont Steffan, Llandysul a Chei Newydd, a theithiodd penllanw llifogydd y Teifi i lawr yr afon rhwng Llanfair a Glan Teifi a chaewyd y rhyd ger ysgol Talgarth. Trodd caeau'n orlifdiroedd gan effeithio ar ferlod a da byw eraill. Cafwyd anhrefn traffig ar yr A486, yr A487, yr A475 yng Ngheredigion a'r B4333 rhwng Aberporth a Chastell Newydd Emlyn, yn ogystal â'r A485 yn Sir Gaerfyrddin a'r holl ffyrdd cefn o gwmpas Beulah. A chafwyd fflachlifoedd yng ngogledd sir Benfro o Landudoch ac Aber-cuch i Lanfyrnach. Nid wyf yn hoffi bod yn broffwyd gwae, ond dim ond mis Medi yw hi. Cefais fy ysgogi i edrych eto ar y syniad o lwybr deddfwriaethol gan golofn a ddarllenais yn ddiweddar iawn yn 'The Guardian' gan Michele Hanson, o'r enw 'Why it's time to ban concrete in front gardens'. Ynddi, nododd sut yr oedd taith o Lundain i Sussex wedi newid yn ystod y 25 mlynedd diwethaf, ac rwy'n dyfynnu ohoni. Mae'n dweud bod, y gerddi blaen gwyrdd hyfryd bron â bod wedi diflannu'n llwyr ac wedi cael eu troi'n fannau parcio. Dywedodd ei bod yn olygfa y bydd llawer ohonom yma'n ei hadnabod yn ein cymunedau eu hunain, gyda mwy a mwy o batios ac ystafelloedd haul, a phalmantu ar gyfer gerddi a hefyd ar gyfer parcio. Mae bron i 5 miliwn o erddi blaen yn y DU bellach wedi'u palmantu'n llwyr ac mae mwy a mwy ohonynt yn diflannu bob blwyddyn. A dweud y gwir, un o'r pethau cyntaf a wneuthum pan symudais i fy nhŷ 25 mlynedd yn ôl oedd palu'r rhodfa a phlannu gardd flaen gyda llwyni a blodau. Gwnaeth Michele Hanson yn union yr un fath. Mae hi'n dweud ei bod yn arfer bod â gardd flaen goncrid, heb unrhyw le i'r dŵr fynd, gan arwain at lifogydd pan fyddai'n bwrw glaw'n drwm. Felly, fe balodd y cyfan a phlannu magnolia a hocys, a rhoddodd hynny ddiwedd ar y llifogydd. Felly, beth am wneud hyn yn orfodol, meddai, Gwell cael wladwriaeth faldodus synhwyrol nag un sydd dan ddŵr catastroffig. Gallwch ei wneud eich hun, mae'n argymell, neu gael y cyngor i bicio draw gyda dril niwmatig a'i wneud ar eich rhan. Nawr, nid wyf yn mynd lawn mor bell â hynny heddiw mewn gwirionedd yn yr hyn rwy'n ei gynnig, ond rwy'n credu bod ganddi bwynt. Effaith hyn - [Anghlywadwy.] - yw bod mwy o ddŵr glaw yn cyrraedd carthffosydd a draeniau, gan olchi llygryddion i'n cyrsiau dŵr. Siaradais yr wythnos diwethaf yn sesiwn holi'r Cynulliad am lygredd afon o ffermydd da byw sy'n cael eu gadael yn rhy aml heb eu cosbi, ac mae fflachlifoedd yn creu'r un broblem yn union. Ond caiff ei waethygu gan ein patrymau tywydd newidiol: y math o gawodydd trwm dwys iawn a brofwn, y gaeafau gwlypach a gawn, ac mae amcangyfrifon gwyddonwyr hinsawdd yn rhagweld mai cynyddu a wnaiff glaw eithafol dros y degawdau nesaf. Felly, hoffwn gael y cyfle hwn i edrych eto ar fy ngorchymyn cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol gwreiddiol, ac i edrych ar yr hyn sydd wedi newid ers 2009, a pham nad yw'r Cynulliad wedi edrych o'r newydd ar yr angen am ddeddfau llymach, ac a ddylai wneud hynny. Ac rwy'n meddwl mai'r newid mwyaf nodedig yn y blynyddoedd ers hynny yw'r rheoliadau sy'n berthnasol i waith adeiladu y gellir ei wneud heb ganiatâd cynllunio. Ym mis Medi 2013, daeth rheoliadau newydd i rym yng Nghymru yn cyfyngu ar y math o ddeunydd y gellir ei ddefnyddio i orchuddio tir o flaen eich tŷ os yw'n arwain at briffordd - ac mae priffyrdd yn cynnwys ffyrdd cyhoeddus, llwybrau troed, llwybrau ceffylau, a chilffyrdd - ond yn y bôn, roedd hynny'n ein gosod ar yr un lefel â Lloegr, lle roedd hyn wedi bod yn rheol ers nifer o flynyddoedd. Felly yn awr, os ydych am osod neu ailosod wyneb caled o flaen eich tŷ, rhaid i chi ddefnyddio deunyddiau athraidd neu fân-dyllog sy'n caniatáu i ddŵr ymdreiddio, neu gyfeirio dŵr oddi ar wyneb caled fel concrid i fan athraidd neu fân-dyllog ar flaen y tŷ. Ond mae gennych hawl i ailosod neu atgyweirio hyd at 5 metr sgwâr o arwynebedd caled presennol heb y cyfyngiadau hyn, a buaswn yn awgrymu y byddai hynny, i'r rhan fwyaf o dai canol teras bach, yn golygu y bydd yr arwynebau concrid a chaled hynny'n bodoli am byth. Ond ni cheir unrhyw gyfyngiadau ar osod patios neu lwybrau concrid a mannau caled eraill yng nghefn eich tŷ - dim o gwbl. Os ydym o ddifrif am wneud rhywbeth am hyn, rwy'n credu bod gwir angen inni ailystyried yr amryfusedd hwn, gan ei bod yn wir fod y rhan fwyaf o bobl â mwy o dir yng nghefn eu tai nag yn y blaen. Credaf y gallem, drwy reoleiddio neu gryfhau'r SDCau, neu ddraenio cynaliadwy, agweddau ar Strategaeth Ddŵr i Gymru 2015, neu drwy gynnig cymhellion i berchnogion - cymell yn hytrach na gorfodi. Ac rwy'n credu y byddai cefnogaeth ymhlith y cyhoedd i gynigion gwyrddu gerddi. Edrychwch ar sut y mae pobl, yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, wedi dechrau cydnabod pwysigrwydd gerddi fel cynefinoedd ar gyfer peillio, adar, a bywyd gwyllt arall. Ar draws Prydain, gerddi domestig yw bron 20 y cant o ddefnydd tir trefol. Felly, dyna adnodd enfawr posibl ar gyfer darparu buddion amgylcheddol. Ar y naill law, os ydym yn parhau i osod concrid dros fwy a mwy o'r lle hwnnw, rydym yn gwneud niwed amgylcheddol mawr - . Mae'n fater o genedlaethau'r dyfodol. Mae gan bob un ohonom gyfrifoldeb i edrych ar ôl ein darn o dir ein hunain, ond mae rôl i'r Llywodraeth hefyd. Ond mae'r Llywodraeth hon, a Llywodraethau Llafur Cymru olynol, wedi blaenoriaethu buddsoddiad ar gyfer atal llifogydd, gyda mwy na £240 miliwn ers 2012, a £47 miliwn pellach o gyllid Ewropeaidd. A diolch i'r arian hwnnw, mae mwy na 12,000 eiddo ledled Cymru yn fwy diogel, a diolch i'r cytundeb a ffurfiodd Llywodraeth Cymru bedair blynedd yn ôl gyda'r diwydiant yswiriant, cafodd 64,000 eiddo mewn perygl o lifogydd sicrwydd yswiriant am 20 mlynedd, gyda chap premiwm. Mae hynny'n cymharu'n ffafriol iawn â'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd yn Lloegr. Yn gynharach eleni, ym mis Mai, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru safonau anstatudol argymelledig ar gyfer draenio cynaliadwy i gynllunwyr, datblygwyr eiddo, awdurdodau lleol, ac eraill sydd â diddordeb, ac mae'n ystyried a ddylid gwneud y rhain yn orfodol, fel y nodir o dan Atodlen 3 i Ddeddf Rheoli Llifogydd a Dŵr 2020. Ceir rhai prosiectau uchelgeisiol sydd eisoes yn lleihau dŵr wyneb, a byddwch wedi fy nghlywed sawl gwaith yn cyfeirio at brosiect RainScape yn Llanelli. Cafodd fuddsoddiad o £113 miliwn, ac mae'n enghraifft o gydweithio ardderchog rhwng Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a Dŵr Cymru, ac mae yna brosiectau eraill, megis Grangetown Werddach. Felly, rwy'n credu bod yr amser wedi dod i ni gydnabod bod angen edrych ar yr ardd gefn ac y gallwn greu cynefin a fydd yn ein cynnal ar gyfer y dyfodol.