Laois riverbed clearing approved where property flooded repeatedly

Permission has been granted to clear a riverbed at the N80 Bridge in Stradbally where a property has been repeatedly flooded. 

Laois County Council applied to An Bord Pleanala for permission for the work. It related to “the removal of silt/gravel deposits using a mini-excavator and vacuum excavator at the N80 Bridge in Stradbally which is located within/adjacent to the River Nore and River Barrow SAC which is a designated European site.” 

In justifying the need, the council said that a property immediately to the South of the location had been flooded by river water on several occasions. 

“The proposed works will remove barriers to the flow of the river,” the council explained.  

The site is located in the centre of Stradbally and comprises an area of 530sq.m of the river bed under the bridge over the N80 and the riverbed downstream of the bridge for approximately 40m. 

In preparation for the application to dredge the river an archeological survey was carried out. It included targeted metal detection which recovered three finds of archaeological/historic interest. These included an Edwardian forged iron pot-hanger, foot piece from a small pot  and a Victorian horse stirrup. 

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An Bord Pleanala approved the work at the site subject to seven conditions. These included the recording of any archaeological finds and other measures to insure the work doesn’t adversely affect the integrity of the protected site.