Flood defences for Laois town devastated by flood deluge hit by 'delays'

Delays have arisen in the construction of flood defences for Mountmellick which were promised in the wake of the 2017 deluge that devastated parts of the Laois town.

Confirmation that the Mountmellick Flood Relief Scheme suffered setbacks causing delays are confirmed in a Departmental Dáil reply to Laois Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley. It also reveals that planning permission has yet to be applied for and funding is not released.

The Laois Offaly TD said he raised it with the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and National Development Plan Delivery and the head of the Office of Public Works (OPW).

The response stated that the Mountmellick Flood Relief Scheme is currently in the latter phase of Stage 1: Scheme Preliminary Design and Development. It said the key remaining deliverables for Stage 1 include the finalisation of the Options Report and the Environment Impact Assessment Report, which are due to be completed by the scheme’s consultants in Q1 2024.

The Department said that following the completion of an Environment Impact Assessment Report, it is envisaged than an application for planning consent for the Mountmellick Flood Relief Scheme will be submitted by Laois County Council to An Bord Pleanála under Part 10 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) in Q2 2024.

To facilitate the submission of a planning application, the reply stated that Laois County Council is engaging with relevant landowners and preparing relevant documentation. Subject to planning consent, and following a period for detailed design, the Department told Dep Stanley that is envisaged that construction will commence in Q2 2025 and be substantially complete prior to end of 2026.

While progress has been made, Sinn Féin TD was told that it is accepted that the process has not advanced as quickly as envisaged.

"While every effort is being made to process the Mountmellick Floor Relief Scheme, programme delays have arisen in Stage 1 due to a variety of factors, including change in scope to include a large scheme area and increased complexity of scheme. Other issues contributing to delays in Stage 1 include assessment of Davitt Road drainage network, resolution of flooding north of Convent Bridge and development of the new Owenass Bridge on the site of the existing bridge. These additional were identified as necessary to protect the town to the required standard of protection following detailed analysis by the engineering consultants in conjunction with the project steering group," said the reply.

Dep Stanley said the update was comprehensive but called for work to be accelerated on its delivery.

“I have emphasised the importance of having these schemes completed in a more timely manner. Mountmellick was devastated by flooding with dozens of homes damaged in November 2017 with several homes and premises damaged," he said.

A dedicated website for the project said an OPW CFRAM Study, completed prior to the 2017 flood, identified Mountmellick as a town which would benefit from a flood relief scheme, the need and urgency for such as scheme has been brought into focus by the events of November 22, 2017.

It said that Laois County Council, along with project partners the OPW, appointed the JBA JB Barry team to assess, develop and design a viable, cost-effective and sustainable flood relief scheme which aims to minimise risk to the existing community, social amenity, environment and landscape character.