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Prince William visits flood-hit Skenfrith, says 'holistic' approach needed

The Prince of Wales visited Skenfrith, Monmouthshire, which has had four major floods in six years, and called for a "holistic" approach to flooding ahead of the storm season.

3 outlets · 1L · 2C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: Evening Standard
Image: Daily Mirror
Image: BBC News

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The story, neutrally told

The Prince of Wales visited the Welsh village of Skenfrith in Monmouthshire on Thursday 1 October and said a "holistic" approach is needed to tackle severe flooding. Skenfrith has had four major floods in six years; the most recent, last winter, came when the River Monnow burst its banks after Storm Claudia brought a month's rain in 24 hours to parts of England and Wales. William went to learn how the community has been affected and what local authorities and other agencies are doing to reduce future flooding.

At their garden gate, residents Rod and Helen Wyatt told him the water almost topped gravestones in the cemetery opposite, and that they have tiled their ground floor and live with the threat of flooding; Mr Wyatt joked that they "got two bottles of Prosecco and went to watch Strictly upstairs". William called the situation demoralising, said a "one in 50-year event" no longer made sense because flooding was happening "every year now", and said the aim was a better view of the whole catchment area, listing ideas such as "slowing the water down" with farming and landscaping measures, tree planting and better monitoring. The Daily Mirror adds that he met other villagers, including Jeanette Lee, 70, and Jacqueline Brown, 79, and spoke with Monmouthshire County Council and Natural Resources Wales members in the village hall, where councillor Dr Catrin Maybe described a sense of "real fear and anxiety" before storm season.

The Mirror also reports that some residents have sold up as property values fell and insurance became hard to find, that a cottage was on the market for £155,000, about half its pre-flood value, and that the village has 24 houses. He also visited tree-planting projects at Great Tre Rhew Farm and White Castle Farm, including the charity Stump Up For Trees, planting a Welsh oak and helping collect field maple seeds; the Mirror says storms this winter are predicted to be worse because of El Niño. The BBC adds that about 25 homes were evacuated in the village in 2019 after flooding and a power cut.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.

Left1 outlet

Framing
Human-interest royal visit piece: William 'consoles' residents of a 'forgotten' village, with colour, jokes and tree-planting.
Emphasis
Residents' hardship, falling house prices, insurance, storm-season fear and El Niño forecast, plus farm and tree-planting visits.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not carry William's 'holistic' catchment-approach remark that the other outlets lead with.
Charged language
“forgotten”“consoles”“harrowing”
For example
“Prince William consoled residents of a "forgotten" Welsh village as they prepared to batten down the hatches for storm season.” — Daily Mirror

Centre2 outlets

Framing
Straight report led by William's call for a 'holistic' approach to flooding, with the Wyatts' exchange.
Emphasis
William's policy-style remarks on catchment management, one-in-50-year events and mitigation ideas.
Leaves out or plays down
Omit the property-price, insurance, council and farm details and the El Niño forecast found in the Mirror; the Standard does not give the 2019 evacuation detail the BBC includes.
For example
“William tells villagers ‘holistic’ approach required to tackle flooding” — Evening Standard
“Prince William visits residents of Skenfrith, Monmouthshire, who have faced four floods in six years.” — BBC News

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.