Extra defences and new bridge needed to protect Laois town from floods

A new update has revealed that protecting Mountmellick in Laois from repeat disastrous flood will require more money, more  time, the purchase of 26 acres of land, and a new bridge.

It is five years since the town was hit by its biggest flood in living memory, with nearly 100 homes and businesses damaged and people were made temporarily homeless.

A plan to build flood defences was begun two years later in 2019, with construction to start in 2023.

However that deadline is going to pass.

Below: Laois Civil Defence bring a boat to rescue residents on Manor Road, Mountmellick in 2017. Image: Leinster Express

Laois County Council has this week revealed the bigger task ahead.

"Laois County Council, on behalf of and in partnership with the Office of Public Works, commenced the design of the Mountmellick Flood Relief Scheme in October 2019. At that time, the programmed date for an application to An Bord Pleanala, for the Flood Relief Scheme, was February 2021.

"In February 2020, Storms Ciara, Jorge and Dennis gave rise to new, extremely significant, information regarding the complex hydraulic relationship and inter-dependence between the Owenass and Pound Rivers and the structures supporting both channels.

"The learnings from Storms Ciara, Jorge and Dennis gave rise to an increase in the area requiring protection, from 4.6 square kilometers (as envisaged in the OPW’s Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Scheme) to 6.1 square kilometres.

"Additionally, a key element of the emerging Scheme is to prevent Owenass floodwaters from entering The Pound. In turn, this will increase floodwaters through the Owenass Bridge and, in all likelihood, a replacement Bridge will be required to ensure the appropriate resilience of the Flood Relief Scheme. This is the main focus for the Design Team at this time," the council has reported.

Below: the November 2017 flood on Main Street, Mountmellick. Image: Leinster Express.

Because of this extra work, the revised date for an application to An Bord Pleanala is September 2023.

The emerging Mountmellick Flood Relief Scheme still will need a protected area in the town of 6.1 square kilometres, including 6km of high earthen embankments, 1km of Flood Walls, 200m localised Road Raising.

The council will also have to buy 26 acres (10.5 hectares) of land.  

The town has not suffered a large flood since, and this is partly due to extra work to keep rivers and drains clear.

"Aside from the design works outlined above, Laois County Council continues to implement comprehensive drainage maintenance works in and downstream of Mountmellick. This has ensured additional capacity for the conveyance of flood waters, acknowledging that such works are not a replacement for a Flood Relief Scheme," they said.

They also remind impacted homeowners, many of whom no longer can get house insurance, that barriers can be purchased at a discount.

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"In parallel, grant support, whereby Laois County Council offers a 50% grant for individual property, demountable flood protection barriers is still available. 58 demountable barriers have been purchased to date through this Scheme. Further details for this grant are available from Laois County Council’s Capital Projects Office."

Details of the preferred option for the Mountmellick Flood Relief Scheme will be published between April and June next year.