Passing the buck for flooding damage

BUCK-PASSING is the name of the game as flood waters continue to ravage Irish cities and towns.

Changing weather patterns and exceptionally high rainfall levels are mother nature’s fault.

But statutory bodies from central government to town councils are trying to shift the responsibility for controversial planning decisions and flood and drainage relief schemes elsewhere.

The Government has blamed local authority planners for permitting development on high-risk flood plains and riverbank sites. Cash-strapped town and county councils, however, are throwing their hands up in despair at the lack of central government funding to alleviate flooding problems.

An Bord Pleanála, meanwhile, said its role is simple. “The board’s policy is guided by development plans and every appeal is treated on its merits,” a spokesman said.

The planning appeals’ board said if third-party individuals or groups are worried about development on flood risk sites, they should raise their objections.

The Office of Public Works, it emerged, is possibly one of the few state agencies which possesses a wealth of historical data on rivers and land flooding patterns.

The former board of works and its predecessor under British rule is in existence in this country since 1861, and its hydrometric division has excellent water level records at its disposal.

Arterial drainage is its main responsibility, yet an OPW spokesperson confirmed: “We don’t interfere in planning or offer advise on flood risk zones unless we are requested by a local authority.

“We work with local authorities in examining flood defence and flood alleviation schemes at their invitation only.” In fairness to the OPW, it is currently involved in capital project works on flood relief costing 300m.

The spokesperson said: “The OPW has a legal obligation to assist drainage and flood relief schemes but it doesn’t have the freedom to impose any authority on local councils.”

All in all, it would appear the blame comes around again to the local authorities and their traditional five-year development plans.

Development space pressure on larger urban centres has forced some local authorities to use greenfield sites which were historically flood plains.

But local authorities were faced with huge compensation claims if they refused planning permission on flood plains zoned for development.

The Department of Environment, which is keeping its nose very clean on recent flooding problems is adamant the responsibility lies fairly and squarely with local government.

The department, in its review of the Planning and Development Act 2000, introduced new provisions to do away with the loophole where local authorities were at risk of compensation claims for refusing planning in areas prone to flooding.

The department spokesman stated: “Planning is not our responsibility. We don’t want to be seen to be diminishing the powers of local authorities, who often accuse us of interfering in the democratic process.”