Council director: Flood damage could have been avoided but for relief scheme objections

Cork City Council director of services says '90% of floods could have been avoided' and solution is to implement relief schemes

A car makes its way through the floods in Ballintemple, Cork, during Storm Babet. Picture: Dan Linehan

The majority of the damage caused by this week’s floods could have been avoided if there were no planning objections to the flood relief schemes, Cork City’s director of services has said.

Flash floods swept through Cork on Wednesday when Storm Babet caused some of the worst damage ever recorded in the county.

As the clean-up operation got under way on Thursday, David Joyce, Cork City Council director  of services, said: “I estimate 90% of the floods could have been avoided.

“People need to look at the different parts of Cork city and understand what did and didn’t happen at different locations.

I would ask people to look at Douglas and I would ask people to look at Togher, two areas that traditionally would have been badly flooded in an event like we had on Wednesday, but there was zero flooding.

“That’s because the two flood relief schemes had been put in place and were operational. So, the strategic long-term solution to flooding in these areas is to implement flood relief schemes."

He said flood relief for Glanmire, which was badly impacted yet again, has begun but is not far enough along in its construction to have had any impact.

"Other locations, the straight road and the city centre, that were all affected, would not have been affected had the flood relief schemes been in place," he said.

Mr Joyce said there have been planning objections, which are still in process, from interested parties over a number of schemes.

“Mainly they are in favour of replacing the existing designs with designs that are completely natural flood-water based, which we don’t believe is an option," he said.

"We have gone through extensive consultation and in fairness to the designers of these schemes, the schemes have changed from their original designs."

Flooding at Sarsfields GAA club building.

Earlier this year, the Morrison’s Island public project, that involves flooding relief scheme elements in the city centre, went to the Supreme Court and a ruling was made in favour of the local authority.

The Blackpool scheme went to judicial review and is being considered by the OPW. 

“All of those schemes have been significantly delayed by objectors," said Mr Joyce.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin also raised the issues of planning objections in the Dáil on Thursday when he said the challenges are slowing progress.

“There is an issue about continuing objections, I think, that lack balance and perspective in the process that is delaying many flood relief schemes across the country,” Mr Martin said.

“That needs to be faced up to, not just by Government but the entire house. We need balance and perspective on all these matters.”