Emergency dredging works approved to minimise flood risk in Midleton

It will involve the removal of large volumes of stone and gravel which were deposited in the river near Moore’s Bridge during Storm Babet to provide more capacity in the river channel ahead of storm season. It is understood the work will be done in September.

It was the council’s third application for the works after its first two, submitted in May and June, were not granted on the basis of “scientific advice” from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).

There is a closed season for dredging and other streamworks between October 1 and April 30 to allow salmon upstream to spawn but the Local Authority Works Act 1949 does allow an exemption for such works when they are carried out in an emergency situation.

The Irish Examiner reported last week on local fears that fish were being prioritised over their safety, as they called on the authorities to approve the dredging.

A spokesman for the department has now confirmed that it approved the derogation last Friday — just a week after it was submitted.

But it has refused to release any details on the application, or on any approval conditions that have been imposed.

“Details in respect of derogation applications are not published by the department,” the spokesman said.

'We are still on edge'

Brenda Mooney, one of several people who live near Moore’s Bridge, welcomed the approval but sounded a note of caution.

“It's definitely a step in the right direction but we are still on edge that red tape might delay it. So we’ll believe it when we see the work start, and hopefully it will be done quickly,” she said.

The Midleton and East Cork Flood Protection Group described the approval of the works "as a big step forward towards giving people some peace of mind".

In a post on social media, it said: “The derogation alone will not prevent flooding completely, but given the huge amount of deposited material it is an essential step.” 

The dredging is among a raft of urgent interim measures which were recommended in a report which was commissioned after the massive flood which devastated Midleton and surrounding areas last October.

Other measures which should be implemented “as a matter of urgency”, included:

• River channel and drainage system clearance and maintenance works at various locations, including the removal of excess vegetation and sediment build up at key locations;
• Repairs to a number of non-return valves;
• And the installation of additional hydrometric gauges.
• Other recommended interim measures and advance works which require further detailed feasibility studies include:
• The implementation of a flood forecasting system for the town;
• The implementation of individual property protection for properties at risk;
• And a feasibility study for the construction of debris screens upstream in the catchment.

Meanwhile, the council is engaging with experts including Professor Mary Bourke and Professor Paul Quinn of Trinity College Dublin on the possibility of using natural flood defences as part of the overall approach to flood relief in the town.