'Emergency committee needed' to complete Midleton flood relief scheme
Cork County Council divisional manager Michael Lynch giving a presentation at a public meeting organised by Midleton Chamber of Commerce to discuss grievances about the recent flooding in Midleton, Co. Cork. Picture: David Creedon
Cork County Council needs to set up an emergency committee to oversee the completion of the Midleton flood relief scheme, a public meeting has heard.
Officials at the meeting were told by members of Midleton Chamber of Commerce that people in the town, which was badly hit by severe flooding during the recent Storm Babet, were concerned at how long the flood relief scheme is taking.
The scheme was first launched for public consultation in 2017 after severe flooding in 2015 and 2016.
“There is a feeling everything is taking so long," said chamber member Paul Murphy, addressing council officials and the Office of Public Works.
“It seems to be taking forever and if this scheme goes on for another seven years, we are going to be in trouble.
“People are also concerned that there are not enough [departments and other State bodies] working together.
“Co-ordination is not as good as it should be. Maybe a war cabinet of sorts needs to be set up.
"Is there any reason why the flood relief scheme cannot be expedited to emergency level?” asked Mr Murphy.
Cork County Council divisional manager South Cork, Michael Lynch, said of the current progress of the Midleton flood relief scheme that the council could not be seen to be “cutting corners”.
He also told the meeting at the Midleton Park Hotel that the flood relief scheme is about to head into the second stage, which revolves around securing planning permission and consent from at least 80 landowners.
However, the scheme, which will cost up to €50m, is not likely to be beyond the full planning consent stage until well into 2025.
He said the preferred scheme will protect 580 properties against a one-in-100-year river flood event and a one-in-200-year tidal event.
While he said that “no flooding scheme will eliminate risk”, it will be "designed to be able to respond to future events”.
He said there was limited opportunity for a viable flooding early warning scheme because “impact can happen very quickly” in Midleton.
He also said that if there had been a red warning by Met Éireann during Storm Babet, there would have been fewer cars on the road and people would have been able to take more preventive measures.
Mr Lynch warned that just one “adverse response” from a landowner could delay the rollout of the flood relief scheme.
Aerial photographs taken by Guileen Coast Guard showed the extent of the flooding that hit the town during last month’s Storm Babet.
Local TD James O’Connor described the flash floods that swept through the town as “biblical” while others said they had never seen anything like it in living memory.
A month's worth of rain fell in Midleton in just 24 hours, causing many businesses to close their doors.
While many of those have since reopened, businesses and homeowners are still counting the cost of the storm.
Among those to be badly hit was the Farmgate restaurant, which has been operating in Midleton for over 40 years. Its owners have since confirmed the costs to restore their premises are just too "far beyond” their means.
