€7m flood prevention scheme for Clonakilty unveiled

Plans have been unveiled for a €7m flood prevention scheme for a town in West Cork which suffered millions of euro worth of damage two years ago.

On June 28, 2012, over 100 businesses and public buildings were deluged along with 70 houses.

The OPW, in conjunction with Cork County Council, has now drawn up its preferred options for flood defences which will deal with river and tidal flooding in the coastal town.

The details were revealed at the town’s parish hall at a public meeting which was attended by consultants Mort MacDonald Ireland, JBA Consulting, OPW, and council engineers yesterday.

Joan Dineen, an executive engineer with the council, said that tidal defences would be erected around the town’s Croppy Rd and up the River Feagle as far as the post office on Bridge St.

The wall defences will vary in height, but will be at least 1.1m tall.

“The second element of the plan is associated with river flooding. A storage area [for excess water] will be built by the river upstream of Dunnes Stores,” Ms Dineen said.

In addition, new pipes and pumping stations will also be installed around this area.

The design team have put an approximate cost of €7m on the preliminary project’s preferred options, but the real cost will not be known until the detailed design is completed. It is likely these designs will be finalised in the next few months.

At this stage, the project team will then hold another public consultation meeting which is likely to occur in September or October.

Engineers will also have to carry out an environmental assessment, apply for planning permission, and seek tenders from contractors.

All going to plan, it is hoped that construction will get under way by October 2015 and it is estimated it will take 18 months to complete the project.

Cllr Noel O’Donovan (FG) said it was “vital that the works progress without any delay to ensure businesses and homeowners never have to face a repeat of the 2012 flood.”

But Humphrey Deegan, a co-owner of the Imperial Hotel, which has flooded on numerous occasions, said he had some concerns about the plan. He believes a tidal barrage in the bay is the only proper solution.

“I firmly believe we should have one and if we don’t then I think that’s a missed opportunity.”

He said that allowing development on the town’s flood plain had also caused further problems.

“The result of that is that there were places getting flooded that never got flooded before.”