Owner gets council backing to fill in pond

THE owner of a holiday park pond in which a two-year-old baby drowned last summer has secured council backing for a fresh bid to have it filled in.

The move comes as a report emerged that another child had to be rescued from the Seafield Caravan Park pond in Youghal, Co Cork, five years ago, which prompted an unsuccessful attempt at that time also to have the pond drained.

Dan Dorrian, whose Borrach Investments company owns the park, has persuaded the town’s councillors to back a proposal to have its environmentally protected status lifted.

When Mr Dorrian applied for permission to fill it after the first incident he was turned down by the An Bord Pleanála because it was an important natural habit.

Mr Dorrian’s safety consultant Ray Morris said nothing could protect children at the park other than the complete removal of the pond.

“The issue is not fencing or signage or even supervision, but the very nature of the particular pond, which is deep has a rapid increase in depth from the edge.

“My assessment was made and given before the recent tragic loss of life in the pond and I can only repeat my earlier advise that the pond be filled in as the only safe solution.”

Baby Glen McNamara Twomey, aged two, died when he wandered into the Seafield caravan park pond on July 8.

He was on holidays from Hollyhill on the north side of Cork city with his parents Andrew and Elizabeth.

A report prepared by Youghal Town Council has revealed that in 2001 another child strayed into the pond and got into difficulties before being rescued.

The council’s report said a safety audit had been carried out before baby McNamara-Twomey drowned.

During the summer Mr Dorrian gathered a petition of residents in the caravan park, which he presented to council last month.

Yesterday he was reluctant to comment on the plan.

“I am very sorry, it is with the town council at the moment so I would prefer it was left to the town hall to deal with.”

The Mayor of Youghal Sammy Revins was one of three councillors who voted against the move to fill in the pond but said this was about timing rather than a point of principle.

“I don’t have a problem with the with filling in the pond. It is just I would have liked to have waited until the inquest.

“But I respect the decision and I am happy to go along with it.”

If Mr Dorrian is successful in getting the environmental protection order lifted he will have to get planning permission approved before he builds the proposed parkland.

Councillor Barbara Murray says it was a man-made pond to begin with and was happy to support its closure.

“If you have to choose between the life of a child and bird life then there is no contest,” said Ms Murray.