Bantry business owners demand rates waiver after flooding
Mcelhinney St, The Floodwater Linehan Picture: New Bantry, On Philip From Tony Out Sweeping Dan & Co West Cork J/dix
Angry business owners in Bantry will contact Cork County Council on Monday to demand a commercial rates waiver, following a pummeling from the torrential rain over the weekend that left more than 40 premises flooded.
Some 37 businesses and five homes on New St and Main St were flooded during an orange weather warning on Saturday afternoon, with water coming up through the floors of some shops.
Susan Shepherd of Philip Dix Jewellers says that it is the third time since 2012 that her business has been flooded.
She said that a flood in 2020 was horrific as it occurred in the middle of the night.
But she said that the flood on Saturday was also traumatic, with water bursting up through the floor of the shop.
“Three rivers are converging here underground.
"We actually had to lift the flood gates to let the water out.
"It came up through our floors.
"We had carpets on the floors and there was a race then to get everything off the floors.
"It just happened so quickly.
"At the moment we have no idea what the cost of the loss is.”
She also questioned why rates should be paid, given that there has been no progress in tackling flooding risks to the town.
Catherine Wharton of Wharton Fish and Chips on New St said: “Most of our rates are €5,000 and €6,000.
"We need a waiver of rates for the year for the financial loss or a complete waiver for what we are going through.”
Eddie and Maria Wiseman of Wiseman’s clothing shop are concerned that the cost of drying out the shop with five dehumidifiers will be significant, between hiring costs and electricity.
Eddie said: “There will be six weeks of drying out — the walls and the floors.
"We have five industrial dehumidifiers going and they will be going for five or six weeks to dry out the building.
"It will be a couple of thousand euro by the time we are finished.
"And then there are the shop units, replacing flooring.”
Senior engineer with Cork County Council, Mark O’Sullivan, said up to 1,000 sandbags were distributed in Bantry to businesses and residences by 30 council and fire service staff who were on site in the town on Saturday.
“We had two fire tenders, we had six pumps supplied.”
He said that work is going on at the moment in relation to relocating occupants of some of the five affected homes.
He could not give a figure of how many will have to be relocated.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said that measures will be brought to Cabinet on Tuesday to support households and businesses impacted by flooding in parts of West Cork.
Up to 65mm of rain was recorded in locations across the county in a 12-hour period on Saturday.