Moves on east coastflood defence works‘a long time coming’

A NEW storm pump station, channels, embankments, walls and the establishment of a deliberate flood plain are all part of a new flood defence plan for Bettystown.

A report on a flood mitigation project for the east coast was presented to councillors at a recent Laytown/Bettystown Municipal District meeting in an effort to combat a repeat of flooding events that have devastated homes in the area in recent years.

An update from RPS Consulting Engineers to on the Meath Coastal Flooding and Erosion Risk Management Study (CFERM) discussed the OPW's flood mitigation project following significant flood events in the area in recent years. Torrential rain coupled with high tides saw over 30 homes in Bettystown destroyed by flooding in August 2023.

A number of homes on the Golf Links Road and the Village estate in Bettystown were also damaged in a second flooding incident in October of the same year.

A steering group was established with the OPW on foot of those incidents.

The meeting was told that the project involves three phases - data collection, a hydrology review, and action recommendations. RPS Engineers conducted the studies, recommending new embankments and channels to prevent future floods. The final report is expected soon, with the OPW's approval process pending.

The project includes a storm pump station in Dunes Housing Estate and interim flood mitigation works, new channels, embankments walls and other ancillary works in the area of McDonagh's Caravan Park.

Councillors were told that flood defences constructed around 13 years ago would be removed and would become a deliberate flood plain for the area.

Concerns were raised about the timeline, impact on local residents, and coordination with future developments. The goal is to finalise the report and proceed with detailed design and environmental assessments by early next year.

The phase three study report has to be completed and finalised with the OPW.

Council officials say they will explore the feasibility of a smaller, phased approach to protect the immediate areas without impacting downstream and explore further the internal flood mitigation works that could be implemented to mitigate the risk while waiting for the major scheme to come to fruition.

In addition, consultations with the landowner regarding the proposed designation of the natural floodplain area needs to take place.

The report also recommends reviewing existing defences and embankments, particularly those built 13 years ago, to prevent further flooding in the region.

Proposed new infrastructure includes green embankments, new walls and channels within the village area.

The existing flood defences built previously will be removed, and the land will become a deliberate floodplain to protect downstream areas. The report recommends that the new defences be built at the same time to avoid overtopping existing defences.

Further scenarios are being run to see if a smaller phase one scheme can be implemented without impacting downstream areas.

Fine Gael Cllr Sharon Tolan said the report had been "a long time coming."

"It has been very hard for homeowners out there staying in homes that were destroyed by water, and explaining to them that they're modelling different solutions. Every single storm that we get, every high tide, every time it rains people are checking what time the tide is in at. That's no way to live for anybody.

"The quicker we progress this, the better for everybody. I'm very concerned, obviously, the fact that the recommendation is that the entire works need to be completed together. How do you coordinate that all the same time?"

Meanwhile Fianna Fail Cllr Wayne Harding spoke of the legacy previous land zonings on the east coast left on residents.

"We can have you come in here and have a go at you if we want and we can say that it was councillors before us that were responsible for this but our biggest power is the zoning of land. And what happened on the coast, particularly in the Northlands where in the middle of their green space is a tidal stream was bonkers.

"We can blame you. We can say it wasn't us. But the last time we sat down to do a council development plan, the OPR (Office of the Planning Regulator) sent us back proponent zonings on floodplains. That's the last plan, now we're going to the next one, and I just would say we as councillors need to be very careful about what we are doing because there's no point in you having to keep coming in here when you're trying to mitigate against houses that were built on the edge of a tidal stream."

Fine Gael Cllr Paddy Meade echoed those sentiments

"A lot of us would probably wish we could go back 30 years and the Northlands and that whole area would be a natural flood plain and we wouldn't have housing there at all but I suppose we are now where we are today," said Meade.

"And I suppose as councillors going forward, we have to ensure that we don't zone any more residential land on flood plains. I think this is a good plan. I think it's what we need going forward. My one fear is that by doing it is there any other area that could end up worse? Is there any place that's not currently being flooded right now that you think could get flooded?"

Meade was assured that all potential flood risk areas had been identified.