Laois appeal lodged to stop dredging of protected Barrow river

Users of the River Barrow have lodged a legal appeal against Laois County Council's go ahead to Waterways Ireland to dredge it and replace its banks with rocks.

Waterways Ireland was granted planning permission in March to carry out dredging and maintenance on the River Barrow in Laois over the next five years.

They also got approval in Carlow and Kildare for works along the length of the river, which has an EU protected Eco status as a Special Area of Conservation.

Members of a Carlow group who had objected to the applications, have now gone to the national planning authority asking it to review the decisions.

Rosalind Murray and Art Mooney are members of the Carlow Barrow Users Group.

They had pleaded to protect the riverbanks, listing species living there including butterflies, otters, salmons, kingfishers, bats and bees.

"It is difficult to understand how a public body can submit such a destructive application in the 21st Century. The river corridor represents a last refuge for wildlife (continuous and significant habitat and biodiversity loss in Ireland has been well documented) and the proposed works by Waterways Ireland is going to erode and destroy this last refuge. This application, if permitted will allow this public body to destroy what it is charged to protect," they had said.

"It cannot be overstated how destructive the interventions proposed will be on the natural environment. Now Waterways Ireland intends to build retaining rock armour on 6650M of the Barrow Trackway. Soft, natural interface between bank and river is effectively to be replaced by a rock armour retaining wall. Trees and back drains are to be cleared without specification. We are hugely concerned that if Waterways Ireland implements its plans, in part or in full, the damage to our waterway system and the SAC will be significant and beyond repair.

"We ask the Councils and Planning Authories to demand that Waterways Ireland develop a sustainable plan for works on the River Barrow Navigation, which meet the Qualifying Interests of the Special Area of Conservation and Natura 2000 and to protect and sustain the river habitats and historic structures of the navigation for generations to come.

"The River Barrow is much loved by the community and visitors alike. It is a place where people stop and talk and the conversation always returns to what a special and unique place it is, and how lucky we are to have it. The grassy towpath was selected by the Irish Times in 2015 as one of the top tourist attractions in the whole island," the objectors said.

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They also said that the public notices erected had not faced a public road.

The dredging work in Laois is proposed along a three hectare stretch of the Barrow Navigation in the townlands of Clogrenan, Crossneen and Ballyhide. It was approved subject to 17 conditions.

In its application to Laois County Council, Waterways Ireland had requested permission for;

“(i)Maintenance and repair works to the Barrow Navigation comprising post-flood spot dredging and maintenance dredging, (ii) A new temporary access road providing access to the Barrow trackway from Leighlin Road to facilitate the proposed works, (iii) Temporary mobile welfare units and (iv), All works ancillary and incidental to the maintenance and repair works referred to above."

An Bord Pleanála will now review all the documents and submissions in the planning application and make a decision in the coming months.