€40m flood relief measures unveiled in Midleton
Around €40m is to be spent on flood relief measures in Midleton, Co Cork providing welcome news for a town which has been flooded over ten times since 1993.
Viable flood relief options drawn up by Arup went on display in the town over the weekend.
The plans include measures to alleviate flooding at 400 homes and 180 businesses and cover Midleton, Water Rock and Ballinacurra. It will involve dealing with pluvial, tidal and groundwater flooding.
Midleton has suffered considerable damage from flooding with the most significant problems occurring following three major storms five years ago.
Members of the public can let their views be known on the proposals up to April 6 next. If given the green light work on the scheme would begin in 2023.
Colm Brennan, Senior Consultant Engineer with Cork County Council, said Midleton has had 11 floods since 1993.
"The most significant one was the December 2015/January 2016 flood when a large number of homes and businesses were flooded.
Without intervention and a flood relief scheme Midleton will flood again as badly and worse as we have experienced in the past.
"Since December 2016 Cork County Council, the OPW and Arup have been working to develop a flood relief scheme. The project team has developed nine viable options. The nine flood options cover six flood areas. The decision on which (proposal to opt for) will be made by multi criteria analysis."
Meanwhile, Barbara O'Brassil, Senior Engineer with Arup, says that 110 properties in the town are at risk of tidal flooding. These home owners also face the risk of flooding from the river.
A number of areas are also at risk of localised flooding due to rainfall.
Ms O'Brassil said that the economic benefit of the scheme to the town was €40 million.
"The costs are of a similar scale so the cost-benefit ratio will be tight but we are confident that there is a scheme that is deliverable here within the cost benefit. We are aiming to have work starting in 2023. We are looking for feedback from the public.”
The nine options which went on display included diversion channels, upstream storage in addition to pumping station and walls.
Potential options drawn up by Arup were put to the public over the weekend at the Midleton Park Hotel in a public consultation day.
County Engineer Kevin Morey has urged the public to give their feedback on the project.
"It is important that we get the the input of the public and to give them an opportunity to ask questions. It is important to get the feedback of the public over the next four weeks. That will all be taken in to account in multi criteria analysis.
Our consultants have been working on developing options for the scheme, looking at the different contributing factors to flooding in the town and what might be the best solutions to those.
"We have a range of options - it's not just one answer in alot of cases so it is important to set these options out for the public and other interested parties to give them a chance to talk to the team.”
