Council accused of breaking its own rules with flag pole dig

A CITY council has been accused of breaking its own rules by digging holes in an archaeologically sensitive site near its medieval city walls.

Independent local election candidate and architect, Oliver Dempsey said Waterford City Council erected 25 flag poles at a cost of around €100,000 in the vicinity of the Bishop's Palace, which is a protected structure.

Waterford City Council hit back saying the works are not included in the prescribed developments for which the Part 8 Planning Procedure is required and, as the cost of the works did not exceed €126,000, it was not necessary to undertake prescribed procedure in order to carry out these works.

"The site on which the works took place consists of filled ground and the works as such did not have any archaeological implications. The erection of the flagpoles does not materially affect the character of Bishop's Palace.

"The flagpoles are temporary, to be placed on the site during important civic and public occasions," the city council said.

But Mr Dempsey remained defiant saying: "I understand that planning permission was needed for the work, which involved using a JCB to dig a trench eight to ten feet deep. The City Council should have applied for a licence from Dúchas and a survey should have been carried out to find out if there was a danger of disturbing archaeological remains," he said.

The flag poles were put up as EU ministers visited the city over a week ago.

"If there was a need for these flag-poles and I don't believe there was the work should not have rushed through to tart up a weekend jamboree at the expense of tax payers' money and our archaeological heritage," he said.

Mr Dempsey said he had referred the case to the chief archaeologist at Dúchas.