COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC REALM AND CLIMATE CHANGE SPC
Tuesday, November 02, 2021
HEADED ITEM NO.3
HEADED ITEM: S. Conroy
Update on Current Flood Alleviation Schemes
REPLY:
River Poddle Flood Alleviation Scheme
The scheme is currently in Part 10 planning with An Bord Pleanala (ABP) and is still awaiting a planning decision. The original ABP target date for a planning decision was 26/03/2021 but was recently extended by ABP for a fourth time to 24/11/2021.
In May 2020, approval was granted by the OPW to proceed to detailed design stage and detailed design works have now been completed on the main elements of the proposed scheme.
Subject to a favourable decision from An Bord Pleanála by the target date, construction may commence in Q1 2022.
Full details on the scheme can be found at www.poddlefas.ie
Whitechurch Stream Flood Alleviation Scheme
Stage 1 - Preliminary Design was completed in July 2020 and the scheme was submitted on August 4th 2020 to An Bord Pleanala for planning approval under Section 177AE of the Planning and Development Act 2000 with the public consultation period finishing on September 17th 2020.
On December 21st 2020, planning approval for the scheme was awarded by ABP.
The scheme was then scheduled to commence in Q1 2021 but in February 2021 an application for leave to apply for a judicial review of the Board’s decision was made to the High Court by the Ballyboden Tidy Towns Group. The High Court subsequently granted this appeal.
The Judicial Review hearing was heard by the High Court on 5-6/10/2021 with the judgement delivered on 20/10/2021 and where the applicant’s proceedings were dismissed.
The Leave for Appeal process on this judgement has now commenced and the case has been listed to be heard on 01/11/21 where it should become clearer if a Leave for Appeal is to be made.
If SDCC is successful in the upcoming appeal process, works are currently estimated to possibly commence in Q1 2022.
Full details on the scheme can be found at www.whitechurchfas.ie
Camac Flood Alleviation Scheme
Stage 1 – Preliminary Design commenced in November 2019 with a current estimated completion date of Q4 2022. Delays in Stage 1 have been encountered due to Covid-19 restrictions and in completing the CCTV surveys of culverts in the catchment due to access and unseasonable high flows and the current lead in times for Site Investigation works.
A full suite of Environmental Surveys were completed in 2020 and early 2021 and a summary of the findings from the Environmental Surveys can be found on this link to the project website.
Works are currently ongoing on the hydraulic modelling of the river and the production of catchment flood maps. Following the completion of the hydraulic modelling works, flood defence optioneering is expected to commence in Q1 2022.
A Hydromorphology assessment (River Restoration) of the river was also completed in Q2 2021 and the findings from this assessment will be incorporated into the flood defence optioneering where possible.
Threshold Surveys, which are carried out to determine property doorstep and finished floor levels so they can be assessed against predicted flood levels, were completed in September 2021 and approx. 1000 residential and business properties within the catchment were surveyed.
Initial works on the scheme’s Environmental Impact Assessment Report are scheduled to commence in Q4 2021
Details on the scheme along with a FAQ and a presentation provided at a public event held in April 2021 can be found at www.camacfas.ie