Flooding Relief

In June 2018,  we received a response from CFRAM, Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management, the government flooding relief management group. The following question was posed in the Dáil by TD Kevin O'Keefe on July 03.

Although the solution proposed is not what the community council put forward, we accept that CFRAM have listened to our suggestions and we look forward to discussing their proposed solution with them in a further public consultation. We also note that CFRAM have accepted that further study/work will be required on the Shanowen river prior to any diversion.

Conor Gurrin
RCC Secretary
July 04 2018

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For Written Answer on : 03/07/2018

Question Number(s): 104 Question Reference(s): 28968/18

Department: Public Expenditure and Reform

Asked by: Kevin O'Keeffe T.D.

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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if funding will be provided to an area (details supplied) which has been included in the flood relief scheme in the flood risk management plans as announced. (Details Supplied) Rathcormac, Co Cork.

REPLY

The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme was the largest ever flood risk study carried out in the State and covered 300 areas believed to be at significant flood risk. The CFRAM programme culminated with the launch on 3^rd May, 2018 of 29 flood risk management plans which propose 118 new outline flood relief projects on top of the 42 major projects already completed and the 33 major schemes within the existing capital works programme of the Office of Public Works (OPW).All of these projects are to be funded under the Government's 10 year flood risk investment programme of almost €1 billion under the National Development Plan 2018 – 2027.

As it is not possible to progress all 118 proposed new schemes at once, funding of €257 million for an initial phase of 50 flood relief projects throughout the country was also announced which would be progressed to detailed design and construction, including the five largest schemes identified in the Plans and 31 small or minor projects under €1 million which will be progressed directly by local authorities.Aside from the 5 largest schemes and the 31 small or minor projects, the remaining projects in the initial phase of implementation were selected on the basis of those projects which would provide the greatest benefit in terms of the greatest number of properties protected on a regionally balanced basis.

A proposed flood relief scheme at Rathcormac has been identified by the CFRAM programme to be progressed at a projected cost of €1.15 million.This proposed scheme consists of the diversion of flood flows from the Kilbrien Stream via a culvert to the Shanowen River and will protect 31 properties when completed.

The proposed scheme is not in the first tranche of projects to be progressed but the OPW and the local authority will work closely to ensure that it will be commenced as soon as possible within the 10 year timeframe for the programme of investment.

Once consultants are appointed to progress the scheme, consultation with statutory and non-statutory bodies as well as the general public takes place at the appropriate stages to ensure that all parties have the opportunity to input into the development of the scheme.

During the summer the OPW published proposed 3 plans for Flooding Relief of Rathcormac Village. Below is a response from the Community Council to the OPW dated 9th Sept.

The community Council have been lobbying Ministers, TD's and local representatives in order to get a more considered approach to the flooding in Rathcormac. But we need your Help!

Please contact by phone or email, any of our representatives, county engineers or anyone you think might be able to help.

Rathcormac Community Council

RE: FLOODING PROPOSALS:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Following our recent meeting in Mallow on the 29^th of August last we wish to highlight the following concerns we have re the proposed response to the flooding in Rathcormac Village.

We would like you to note that our recently purchased 10 acre Community Field (referred to below) is situated on the Garrynacole Road adjacent to the New Primary School and extends to meet the proposed Storage area in Option 1. Please see map enclosed for further clarity.

This Community field will be used as a major Community Amenity and will house Playing Pitches, walking/running track, urgently needed additional car parking for the school and church, community gardens etc. and will service many organisations and individuals within the wider Community.

RE: Option 1:

The proposed location for the storage area is adjacent to our recently purchased Community Field. This ten acre field bounds the proposed storage area.

We have huge concerns for the safety of the people/children using our facility as we feel the propose storage area poses a risk of drowning as the creation of a large open unsecured body of water will inevitably be an attraction for the local children. We are also concerned about further flooding in this area leading to damage to surrounding properties, i.e. the school, Church and houses, and also to our own Community field and the amenities there in, due to the proximity of such a large body of water that will inevitably be at risk of leakages and flooding should the storage area be unable to store the water in an adequate manner.

RE: Option 2

This flow diversion option will lead to water entering the Shanowen River, a river that has a long history of flooding and has led to flooding of the houses along the river as recently as 2015, the Community Centre and some surrounding properties were also flooded in 2012 and countless times previously to this.

As per the proposal this water will now enter the river further north of the village and will run down past even more houses and will subsequently pose a larger threat by exposing even more house to potential flooding.

It is evident from past flooding that this river is incapable of dealing with the volume of flood water. We feel that entry from a different location on the river will not solve the existing flooding issues in the village.

RE: Option 3

This proposed flood defence wall, to run down the Garrynacole Road and the ha ha area by the village green, does not allow for the drainage of water off the road into the Kilbrien Stream which will cause the water to run down the road possibly flooding the main village.

With reference to our Community Field, the only entrance to this field is on the Garrynacole road above the New Primary School this wall will obstruct our entrance.

It will also obstruct the free drainage of rain water from this field into the Kilbrien Stream. This will then lead to a further risk of flooding, of not only the field area, but also the adjacent houses Church and the School.

We believe that a flow diversion option, further up the Kilbrien Stream, where the newly constructed bypass of Rathcormac meets this stream, needs to be fully investigated and costed.

We have supplied a detailed map of our proposed diversion option to the O.P.W. after the initial consultation meeting in Rathcormac in February 2016 and also at the recent consultation meeting in Mallow on the 29^th of August last, which you will find attached.

This proposed diversion is to start at the bridge where the motorway meets the Garrynacole Road and it will take the water down by the side of the Motorway in an existing channel that flows into the Cotttage River.

This diversion we feel with divert the majority of the water from the Kilbrien Stream away from Rathcormac Village.

As the land north of the motorway is higher land the majority of water flowing into the Kilbrien stream comes from this land. If it is diverted away from the village as per our proposal this then means that the Kilbrien stream will only have the lower land water to accommodate.

This option will we feel significantly reduce the volume of water passing through the drainage system of the village, thus reducing the possibility of flooding.

We believe that this option will cost less and will have a much lower impact on the environment during construction and also need much less maintenance in the future.

We feel that this option needs to be fully investigated and costed as a matter of urgency. We will remain at all time available for further consultation and look forward to meeting with you on site to fully explain our proposal.

As this continues to be a lengthy process and winter is coming with its prospect of further flooding we are requesting that the Shanowen River be dredged and cleaned immediately to minimise the risk of flooding as an interim solution.

You’re Sincerely,

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Batt O’ Connell

Chairperson Rathcormac Community Council