UPDATE: Goahead for Mountmellick flood defences to start planning application

Laois County Council has given an update on the painfully slow progress to build flood defences in Mountmellick.

The Laois town with three rivers, suffered its worst flood in living history, almost eight years ago in November 2017, with over 100 homes and businesses flooded as well as the N80 road which was eventually closed for a time.

Another flood in 2020 forced a redesign and expansion of the planned defences.

However the council has still not applied for planning permission to build the walls and embankments. 

Director of Services Simon Walton gave an update at the July council meeting.

"We have approval from the OPW in principal, to lodge plans for the scheme to An Coimisiún Pleanála (formerly Bord Pleanála).

"We hope to do so by the end of October," he said.

He gave one reason for the delay, which is a concern by residents on the Ballyfin side of the town, that changes to the bridge and river could actually bring floods onto their lands.

"One local group made a submission. We were asked to address those concerns raised by those residents. There will be 160 properties impacted in a 1 in 100 flood, if there is no scheme. There were 120 impacted in 2020.

"Over August we will likely hold a briefing in committee (no press). Then we will update the website," Mr Walton said.

GALLERY: Photos from the 2017 Mountmellick flood

Cllr Paddy Bracken from the Mountmellick Municipal District had asked for an update for the scheme.

Last April he said that the delay has had a "huge and detrimental affect on Mountmellick".

The project timeframe estimates that it will take a year for An Coimisiún Pleanála to make its decision, including the possible compulsory purchases of lands.

They add another nine months to draw detailed designs and prepare tender documents, followed by 20 months for construction and finally handover.

That will bring the delivery of Mountmellick's flood defences up to February 2029, 12 years after the initial flood.

The defences were first expected to be built by 2023 and handed over by 2024 and cost €3.1m.  

Another flood in 2020 forced a restart to design and expand the planned defences, to include several kilometres of wide embankments with footpaths on top, flood defence walls, culvert upgrades and the reconstruction of the bridge in Derrycloney.