Storm Dennis: Tui Pontypridd shut after 'significant flooding'

’We were fortunate’

Pontypridd is home to several town centre travel businesses, with Tui, Tailor Made Travel and Hays Travel in Taff Street and Signature Travel in High Street.

Dennis Pounder, manager of Tailor Made Travel’s Pontypridd store, said the town’s flood defences came to many businesses aid when the heavy rain came.

“We were fortunate really, in as much as about 30 years ago, we had significant flooding – worse than Storm Dennis,” said Pounder.

“The council and Welsh Water invested an awful lot into the infrastructure, which protected most of the high street – apart from Tui, Boots and Costa.

“We all criticise the council and government, but on this occasion, the work they have done over the past 20 years did actually come into place and within six or hours hours, the water had drained away.”

Hays Travel’s Ponty team told TTG everyone was safe and sound and that the store itself luckily escaped flooding.

TTG has also contacted Signature Travel for comment.

Elsewhere, West Yorkshire agency owner Roger Benn was spared further misery after the flood waters receded before they could cause further damage to his business, which was flooded a week earlier when Storm Ciara struck.

His business, Benchmark Travel and Tours, which operates from The Travel Centre in Mytholmroyd, was left five feet under water when the nearby River Calder flooded last Sunday (9 February).

“It got fairly close to coming over [again] after a very wet night but no more damage I’m glad to say,” Benn told TTG on Monday.

He added that if there were any benevolent operators out there feeling generous, the business was on the lookout for new desks, cabinet, chairs and other fixtures and fittings, as well as collateral.

“Branded or unbranded, anything accepted – as long as it’s not wet,” said Benn.