'It's a joke': Three major West Cork projects put on hold to protect freshwater pearl mussel

The Ardcahan bridge, north of Dunmanway, is flooded several times a year, but preventative works are restricted because it is in a special area of conservation. Picture: Richard Mills

Three major infrastructure projects in West Cork have been put on hold, because of risk to the endangered freshwater pearl mussel. The projects include flood-relief works on the main road to Cork City and the upgrade of a sewage-treatment plant.

An Bord Pleanála has refused Cork County Council permission to undertake road-safety and realignment works on the busy R585 (Bantry line) at Dromdeegy, north of Dunmanway.

The refusal is due to the possible impact the work might have on the special area of conservation and the presence of the EU-protected freshwater pearl mussel in nearby waterways.

6,000 vehicles use the road daily, with a big percentage of them trucks travelling to and from Castletownbere's busy fishing port. 

Cork County Council has already carried out some safety upgrades on parts of the road and had planned larger-scale safety and realignment works at Dromdeegy.

However, the local authority is being forced to re-examine its plans on how it might proceed with the project, following the An Bord Pleanála ruling.

Independent councillor Declan Hurley, who lives in Dunmanway, said the freshwater pearl mussel's presence is also holding up flood-relief work at Ardcahan Bridge. It is on the R586 close to Dunmanway and is the most-used car route from West Cork to Cork City and back.

"The road at Ardcahan Bridge floods several times a year and motorists have had to be rescued there, after underestimating the depth of the water and driving into it," Mr Hurley said.

However, the bridge lies in a special area of conservation, which means the council is restricted in the remedial works it can carry out.

"It is a joke that a public road can be left flood, because there's a freshwater pearl mussel somewhere in the vicinity," Mr Hurley said.

In Dunmanway, there is a ban on any new connections to the town's wastewater-treatment plant. The plant is in breach of its discharge licence, because the pipe is in a special area of conservation that is also home to the freshwater pearl mussel.

Uisce Éireann has said it will be five to 10 years before it can start upgrading the town's wastewater-treatment plant to the required standards, because of funding issues.

"In this regard, if the problem is going to take five or 10 years before it is resolved, Dunmanway will be left without residential or commercial developments for the best part of a decade," Mr Hurley said.

He said the mussel and conservation-area designations are major constraints around West Cork and are preventing vitally important infrastructure projects from proceeding.

"Common sense needs to prevail," Mr Hurley said. "Different state agencies have to work together and come up with solutions to this, rather than obstacles."