Work to begin on Clonmel flood relief scheme

PREPARATORY work on the long-awaited flood relief scheme in Clonmel is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

The current phase of the scheme has just got under way after the tender was awarded to Tony Kirwan Civil Engineering Contractors of Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford, and will cost €1.8 million.

Over the next few months, embankments and land drains will be placed in various flood-risk locations in Clonmel, in preparation for the main phase, which is expected to start early next year.

The total cost of the flood relief scheme, first announced by then Office of Public Works minister Tom Parlon in early 2005, will be about €45m by the time it’s fully completed in five years’ time.

The last major flooding incident in Clonmel occurred in October of 2004, when dozens of houses and businesses were badly damaged by the River Suir.

Since then, local residents, commercial interests and public representatives have been lobbying the public works office to get the relief work started in a bid to prevent any future damage. Some clearing work has already taken place.

The current contract includes placing embankments and land drains at Convent Road, Moore’s Island, the Presentation Convent and Raheen Road, as well as culverts at Old Bridge.

“This is mainly enabling work, being put in place before we start the main contact,” said a public works office spokesperson. “It’s not the main civil engineering scheme.”

The main project is being divided into three phases: Clonmel west to protect the areas west of Old Bridge; Clonmel north to protect the areas north of the Suir; and Clonmel east to provide protection to the properties to the south of the river.

Demountable flood relief defences will be part of the scheme.

Asked about the three-year delay in getting work started since the last flood in Clonmel, the public works office said that a consultation period had to take place, planning had to be carried out, an environmental impact statement prepared, and a public procurement process completed.

Tom Parlon visited Clonmel during the last incident in 2004 and returned to the town some months later to announce details of the relief scheme. Numerous public meetings and presentations have since been held in the town to provide updates on the project.

A recently finished flood scheme in Kilkenny — generally deemed a success — took about five years’ work.