Online Flood Maps have been updated with information now available on areas across the north that may be affected by flooding from rivers, sea and now rainfall. The Strategic Flood Map also gives helpful information on the location of flood defences already in place to reduce risk and is intended to increase awareness among the general public, local authorities, utilities and other organisations about the risk of flooding. This is to enable them to be better prepared to take appropriate action to reduce the impact of flooding.
Read the article @ build.ie.
www.bpsplanningconsultants.ie
Showing posts with label flooding and planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flooding and planning. Show all posts
Friday, 16 December 2011
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
'Once-in-a-century' events have become distressingly familiar
OUR CONCEPT of “once-in-a-century” storms needs to be redefined following the latest flash floods in Dublin and the surrounding region, according to Ireland’s leading expert on climate change, Prof John Sweeney of NUI Maynooth.
After Dublin City Council categorised the latest floods as a “once-in-a century” event, he said this was now “a meaningless concept” based on standard trends, and we “no longer have such trends” because storms were becoming much more frequent.
“We can’t say this event is due to climate change, but the increase in frequency of intense rainfall events is on an upward curve – so we’re seeing nothing that contradicts the models [on climate change].
“It just so happened it was in Dublin this time, and not in Ballinasloe.”
Prof Sweeney said “much more statistical analysis” of rainfall patterns in Ireland was needed as a guide to future planning for events such as Monday evening’s rain, which led to the new record of 82.2mm for the greatest daily total for October at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, since records began there in 1954.
Gerald Fleming, head of Met Éireann’s general forecasting division, said calculating “return periods” for such heavy rainfall was merely “playing with decimal points” and there was “certainly a question mark over whether they’re appropriate for the next 20 to 30 years”.
Dublin director of traffic Michael Phillips said it was not enough to be told by Met Éireann there would be heavy rain in Dublin.
“We need to develop a micro-system that will tell us if it’s going to be in Drumcondra or Ballsbridge so we know where to send out workforces.”
The last intense rainfall event in the Dublin area was on August 9th, 2008, when amounts in excess of 70mm were recorded in Celbridge, Lucan and Leixlip. Just three years earlier, on June 29th, 2005, 45mm fell in the Phoenix Park in less than an hour.
Coping with the consequences has presented real problems for the authorities.
After floods hit Drumcondra in November 2002 and then taoiseach Bertie Ahern was pictured standing up to his knees in water, priority was given to improving flood defences along the river Tolka.
There was, and still is, a risk that building up walls along one section of a river could result in it overflowing elsewhere.
Natural floodplains were also affected by urban and suburban development during the boom, simply by the spread of concrete and tarmacadam that allows water to gather in great quantities.
The controversial flood defences proposed for Clontarf would have been of no help on this occasion; they were designed to protect the area from inundation by the sea. Monday night’s flooding was caused by intense heavy rainfall over a period of several hours.
Some motorways and other major roads became impassable on Monday due to flooding, notably the M7 on the outskirts of Dublin, the N11 at the UCD Belfield underpass and the M50 between the Ballinteer and Firhouse junctions, triggering a six-hour closure.
Sean O’Neill, spokesman for the National Roads Authority, said the latter was due to a culvert backing up and flooding out onto the motorway. Six pumps were brought in by the operating company, M50 Concessions, to clear the water, which reached a depth of 300mm.
He explained all roads are designed to allow water to drain off their surface.
However, if the surrounding land and drainage is at or beyond capacity, the road is directly affected because “a domino effect takes place and the road becomes flooded”.
After the Dublin area emergency plan was activated, O’Neill said the authority lifted tolls on the port tunnel, allowing it to be used freely by motorists seeking to avoid flooded roads elsewhere. “The tunnel was fine and was used as a pressure reliever and exit route from the city.”
As for what happened in Dundrum shopping centre, where the entire ground floor was flooded, engineers have noted that the Dundrum Slang stream “is currently protected from a major flooding event which has a 2 per cent [1-in-50 year] probability of occurring in any given year”.
However, results from the river catchment flood risk assessment and management programme being carried out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) have shown that “there is no viable flood risk management option available for the entire Dundrum Slang”.
The programme derives from the 2007 EU “floods” directive, which requires all member states to undertake a preliminary flood risk assessment, based on available information, such as the OPW’s extensive flood mapping database.
This is available online at www.floodmaps.ie
Irish Times
www.bpsplanningconsultants.ie
After Dublin City Council categorised the latest floods as a “once-in-a century” event, he said this was now “a meaningless concept” based on standard trends, and we “no longer have such trends” because storms were becoming much more frequent.
“We can’t say this event is due to climate change, but the increase in frequency of intense rainfall events is on an upward curve – so we’re seeing nothing that contradicts the models [on climate change].
“It just so happened it was in Dublin this time, and not in Ballinasloe.”
Prof Sweeney said “much more statistical analysis” of rainfall patterns in Ireland was needed as a guide to future planning for events such as Monday evening’s rain, which led to the new record of 82.2mm for the greatest daily total for October at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, since records began there in 1954.
Gerald Fleming, head of Met Éireann’s general forecasting division, said calculating “return periods” for such heavy rainfall was merely “playing with decimal points” and there was “certainly a question mark over whether they’re appropriate for the next 20 to 30 years”.
Dublin director of traffic Michael Phillips said it was not enough to be told by Met Éireann there would be heavy rain in Dublin.
“We need to develop a micro-system that will tell us if it’s going to be in Drumcondra or Ballsbridge so we know where to send out workforces.”
The last intense rainfall event in the Dublin area was on August 9th, 2008, when amounts in excess of 70mm were recorded in Celbridge, Lucan and Leixlip. Just three years earlier, on June 29th, 2005, 45mm fell in the Phoenix Park in less than an hour.
Coping with the consequences has presented real problems for the authorities.
After floods hit Drumcondra in November 2002 and then taoiseach Bertie Ahern was pictured standing up to his knees in water, priority was given to improving flood defences along the river Tolka.
There was, and still is, a risk that building up walls along one section of a river could result in it overflowing elsewhere.
Natural floodplains were also affected by urban and suburban development during the boom, simply by the spread of concrete and tarmacadam that allows water to gather in great quantities.
The controversial flood defences proposed for Clontarf would have been of no help on this occasion; they were designed to protect the area from inundation by the sea. Monday night’s flooding was caused by intense heavy rainfall over a period of several hours.
Some motorways and other major roads became impassable on Monday due to flooding, notably the M7 on the outskirts of Dublin, the N11 at the UCD Belfield underpass and the M50 between the Ballinteer and Firhouse junctions, triggering a six-hour closure.
Sean O’Neill, spokesman for the National Roads Authority, said the latter was due to a culvert backing up and flooding out onto the motorway. Six pumps were brought in by the operating company, M50 Concessions, to clear the water, which reached a depth of 300mm.
He explained all roads are designed to allow water to drain off their surface.
However, if the surrounding land and drainage is at or beyond capacity, the road is directly affected because “a domino effect takes place and the road becomes flooded”.
After the Dublin area emergency plan was activated, O’Neill said the authority lifted tolls on the port tunnel, allowing it to be used freely by motorists seeking to avoid flooded roads elsewhere. “The tunnel was fine and was used as a pressure reliever and exit route from the city.”
As for what happened in Dundrum shopping centre, where the entire ground floor was flooded, engineers have noted that the Dundrum Slang stream “is currently protected from a major flooding event which has a 2 per cent [1-in-50 year] probability of occurring in any given year”.
However, results from the river catchment flood risk assessment and management programme being carried out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) have shown that “there is no viable flood risk management option available for the entire Dundrum Slang”.
The programme derives from the 2007 EU “floods” directive, which requires all member states to undertake a preliminary flood risk assessment, based on available information, such as the OPW’s extensive flood mapping database.
This is available online at www.floodmaps.ie
Irish Times
www.bpsplanningconsultants.ie
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Expert warned of risk to certain housing estates
AS homes were in evacuated in Ennis during last November’s flooding, a flooding expert warned Clare County Council last November that a number of other housing estates below a certain level in the Ennis area "will almost certainly be in trouble and unlikely to be protectable" from flooding.
In an email released through the Freedom of Information Act, Tony Cawley of Hydro Environmental Ltd wrote on November 24 that his comments on the threat "are not exaggerated".
Mr Cawley made his prediction for homes in the Ennis area located below levels of 3.2 metres above sea level.
The Friday prior to the email, 40 families were evacuated from their homes in the Oakwood Drive area of Ennis.
Senior County Council engineer Tom Tiernan said the threat of flooding to the areas downstream of Ennis town centre will be removed by the construction of phase two of the flood defence works for Ennis.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
In an email released through the Freedom of Information Act, Tony Cawley of Hydro Environmental Ltd wrote on November 24 that his comments on the threat "are not exaggerated".
Mr Cawley made his prediction for homes in the Ennis area located below levels of 3.2 metres above sea level.
The Friday prior to the email, 40 families were evacuated from their homes in the Oakwood Drive area of Ennis.
Senior County Council engineer Tom Tiernan said the threat of flooding to the areas downstream of Ennis town centre will be removed by the construction of phase two of the flood defence works for Ennis.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Building houses on flood plains is destroying natural defences, says expert
THE practice of building houses and other concrete structures on flood plains is destroying Ireland’s natural flood defences, according to one of the country’s leading experts on coastal engineering.
“If you look at the rainfall patterns over the last 20 years, you will find that there has been a marked change. We are now getting severe bursts of rain rather than precipitation being spread out,” said Dr Jimmy Murphy, coastal engineering manager with the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre, University College Cork (UCC).
Dr Murphy attributed much of this change to global warming which has lead to great uncertainty in predicting climate change.
“We have better technology and that means we know more, but the problem is we don’t know what to do about it because we don’t know what the climate will be in the next decade. That is the problem facing us and it is a real challenge.”
“That poses a difficulty in designing coastal defences for an event that might only occur once in several decades. We design structures for extreme events that might happen once in every 50 years while in the Netherlands, they design structures for climatic events that might occur once in every 10,000 years.”
Dr Murphy, who hosts a seminar on flood defences at UCC on Friday, said that, despite the uncertainty in predicting weather patterns, he was not in favour of constructing massive flood defences.
“We do not want huge structures that cost a fortune. It is far better if we find solutions that provide effective early warning systems so we can be prepared for extreme events.”
“There are great challenges and great opportunities and lateral thinking is required when it comes to solving problems. Making our coastal defences climate proof, requires a different kind of thinking. It must be more an ongoing process, a system that needs revisiting from time to time and regular maintenance.
“Recent weather patterns are putting Ireland’s flood defence and coastal infrastructure under increasing pressure. Flooding of cities and towns is now a common occurrence and UCC studies have shown that rainfall patterns have changed considerably in recent years. In addition many of Ireland’s coastal defences may be found to be under designed given future storm and sea level predictions.
“The coastline is coming under increasing threat as is indicated by the recent breaching of the sand dunes on Rossbeigh Beach, Co Kerry. There is an urgent need for decision-makers to understand the challenges facing the country and how best to meet them.”
However, Dr Murphy said he was hopeful for the future. “The design and management methodologies for flood defence systems and coastal structures has developed considerably in recent years. Through monitoring, mapping and modelling there is now a greater understanding of basic system behaviour yet great uncertainty exists as to the nature and magnitudes of environmental loadings. The challenge now is to seek solutions that are both sustainable and cost-effective in the long-term whilst providing sufficient protection against extreme events, such as we have witnessed over the past week.” It is opportune that this seminar brings experts from Ireland, Britain and the Netherlands to discuss these latest developments and possible future trends, he said.
lThe seminar will run from 9.30am to 5pm in the Cavanagh Pharmacy Building, UCC on Friday. To register for this seminar or obtain more information please contact Cora Edwards, Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre, on (021) 4250021 or email hmrc@ucc.ie.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
“If you look at the rainfall patterns over the last 20 years, you will find that there has been a marked change. We are now getting severe bursts of rain rather than precipitation being spread out,” said Dr Jimmy Murphy, coastal engineering manager with the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre, University College Cork (UCC).
Dr Murphy attributed much of this change to global warming which has lead to great uncertainty in predicting climate change.
“We have better technology and that means we know more, but the problem is we don’t know what to do about it because we don’t know what the climate will be in the next decade. That is the problem facing us and it is a real challenge.”
“That poses a difficulty in designing coastal defences for an event that might only occur once in several decades. We design structures for extreme events that might happen once in every 50 years while in the Netherlands, they design structures for climatic events that might occur once in every 10,000 years.”
Dr Murphy, who hosts a seminar on flood defences at UCC on Friday, said that, despite the uncertainty in predicting weather patterns, he was not in favour of constructing massive flood defences.
“We do not want huge structures that cost a fortune. It is far better if we find solutions that provide effective early warning systems so we can be prepared for extreme events.”
“There are great challenges and great opportunities and lateral thinking is required when it comes to solving problems. Making our coastal defences climate proof, requires a different kind of thinking. It must be more an ongoing process, a system that needs revisiting from time to time and regular maintenance.
“Recent weather patterns are putting Ireland’s flood defence and coastal infrastructure under increasing pressure. Flooding of cities and towns is now a common occurrence and UCC studies have shown that rainfall patterns have changed considerably in recent years. In addition many of Ireland’s coastal defences may be found to be under designed given future storm and sea level predictions.
“The coastline is coming under increasing threat as is indicated by the recent breaching of the sand dunes on Rossbeigh Beach, Co Kerry. There is an urgent need for decision-makers to understand the challenges facing the country and how best to meet them.”
However, Dr Murphy said he was hopeful for the future. “The design and management methodologies for flood defence systems and coastal structures has developed considerably in recent years. Through monitoring, mapping and modelling there is now a greater understanding of basic system behaviour yet great uncertainty exists as to the nature and magnitudes of environmental loadings. The challenge now is to seek solutions that are both sustainable and cost-effective in the long-term whilst providing sufficient protection against extreme events, such as we have witnessed over the past week.” It is opportune that this seminar brings experts from Ireland, Britain and the Netherlands to discuss these latest developments and possible future trends, he said.
lThe seminar will run from 9.30am to 5pm in the Cavanagh Pharmacy Building, UCC on Friday. To register for this seminar or obtain more information please contact Cora Edwards, Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre, on (021) 4250021 or email hmrc@ucc.ie.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Minister and brother split over supermarket on floodplain
A JUNIOR minister who is backing a retail giant's proposal to build a supermarket on a floodplain is facing strong opposition from his brother.
Laois-Offaly Fianna Fail TD John Moloney publicly supports Tesco's bid to locate a store on a four-acre site prone to flooding in Portarlington, Co Laois. He says developers would eliminate flood risks and rejuvenate the town centre.
However, his younger brother, Laois county councillor Michael Moloney, "totally opposes" the deputy's stance.
"I disagree with him saying he thinks the flooding issue can be rectified. The experts say you can't just relocate flood plains. The silt has built up over hundreds of years and it holds the water. To do away with them is going to be catastrophic for people in towns like Carlow, Athy and further down," he said.
It's not the first time for the Laois brothers to come to blows in politics. Michael Moloney was co-opted onto Laois County Council by Fianna Fail because of the dual mandate rule after his brother, John, was elected to the Dail.
However, Michael later caused controversy by leaving the party to become an independent councillor.
"They used to call my brother 'Dev' in boarding school, he was always a Fianna Failer. I'm more of an issues person. I was elected as a Fianna Fail councillor but I left after a falling out over the last county development plan," said Cllr Moloney.
John Moloney, who is Minister of State at the department of Health, said he "fully supported" Tesco's plans to build a supermarket in Portarlington, adding that his brother "did his own thing politically".
Laois County Council granted permission for the supermarket to be built on a site adjacent to the river Barrow in the town in February.
The application has been referred to An Bord Pleanala after several objections. However, local business people have hit back at concerns over Tesco's plans to build on the floodplain.
They say the supermarket has committed to spending €1m on flood relief works.
Eimear Ni Bhraonain
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Laois-Offaly Fianna Fail TD John Moloney publicly supports Tesco's bid to locate a store on a four-acre site prone to flooding in Portarlington, Co Laois. He says developers would eliminate flood risks and rejuvenate the town centre.
However, his younger brother, Laois county councillor Michael Moloney, "totally opposes" the deputy's stance.
"I disagree with him saying he thinks the flooding issue can be rectified. The experts say you can't just relocate flood plains. The silt has built up over hundreds of years and it holds the water. To do away with them is going to be catastrophic for people in towns like Carlow, Athy and further down," he said.
It's not the first time for the Laois brothers to come to blows in politics. Michael Moloney was co-opted onto Laois County Council by Fianna Fail because of the dual mandate rule after his brother, John, was elected to the Dail.
However, Michael later caused controversy by leaving the party to become an independent councillor.
"They used to call my brother 'Dev' in boarding school, he was always a Fianna Failer. I'm more of an issues person. I was elected as a Fianna Fail councillor but I left after a falling out over the last county development plan," said Cllr Moloney.
John Moloney, who is Minister of State at the department of Health, said he "fully supported" Tesco's plans to build a supermarket in Portarlington, adding that his brother "did his own thing politically".
Laois County Council granted permission for the supermarket to be built on a site adjacent to the river Barrow in the town in February.
The application has been referred to An Bord Pleanala after several objections. However, local business people have hit back at concerns over Tesco's plans to build on the floodplain.
They say the supermarket has committed to spending €1m on flood relief works.
Eimear Ni Bhraonain
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Apartments plan scaled back over river fears
PERMISSION for 46 houses in an extension to Athlone's Shamrock Lodge Hotel has been refused because of flooding concerns.
Despite an An Bord Pleanala inspector noting that a "large portion" of the site at Ballaugh, Athlone, Co Westmeath, was subject to flooding, permission for the scheme was originally granted by the local council.
Owner Paddy McCaul sought permission to build a gym, aerobics suite, swimming pool, health and beauty centre, creche, coffee shop and 142 apartments close to the hotel.
His consultants said the site was over 500 metres from the River Shannon and raising of ground levels to avoid flooding would have no effect on adjoining properties.
The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board expressed concern while residents said the area flooded every year and three hectares of floodplain would be lost, which would affect neighbouring properties.
While permission for 142 housing units had been granted by the town council, An Bord Pleanala refused permission for 46 because of a flood risk. In doing so, it overturned part of its inspector's report, which said the whole scheme should be approved.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Despite an An Bord Pleanala inspector noting that a "large portion" of the site at Ballaugh, Athlone, Co Westmeath, was subject to flooding, permission for the scheme was originally granted by the local council.
Owner Paddy McCaul sought permission to build a gym, aerobics suite, swimming pool, health and beauty centre, creche, coffee shop and 142 apartments close to the hotel.
His consultants said the site was over 500 metres from the River Shannon and raising of ground levels to avoid flooding would have no effect on adjoining properties.
The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board expressed concern while residents said the area flooded every year and three hectares of floodplain would be lost, which would affect neighbouring properties.
While permission for 142 housing units had been granted by the town council, An Bord Pleanala refused permission for 46 because of a flood risk. In doing so, it overturned part of its inspector's report, which said the whole scheme should be approved.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Planning law to strip politicians of powers in flood risk areas
COUNTY councillors will no longer be able to overturn expert advice and grant planning permission in areas at risk of flooding.
New planning guidelines due to be published soon will force councillors to adhere to national policy when granting permission.
This will, in effect, strip them of the power to compel county managements to allow areas at risk of flooding to be built on.
This is sure to anger councillors, who are already claiming their powers are being eroded. Elected members can currently invoke a section 140, which orders the county or city manager to grant permission for particular developments, even against best advice.
But the new laws will mean they will no longer be able to legally do so.
Last month, Environment Minister John Gormley said that, under the new guidelines, development would only be allowed in exceptional circumstances in areas at risk of flooding.
Approval
These will not place an outright ban on building on floodplains, but will mean that new developments will only get approval with strong justification.
Last month, two Midlands councils zoned a floodplain on the outskirts of a town centre for development -- despite warnings from the Office of Public Works about flood risks.
Offaly County Council and Tullamore Town Council proposed a multi-million euro scheme to develop the Grand Canal Quarter in Tullamore, an area which is prone to flooding. A majority of councillors backed the plans, just weeks before the new guidelines are due to be announced.
Planning sources said yesterday that councillors often relied on flood risk reports from consultants who were also employed by the developers seeking planning permission.
"A consultant will always say flooding won't happen because they're paid to say so," one said. "Landowners tend to be relentless in seeking permission -- they keep coming back again and again."
The planning guidelines follow on claims that developments are being allowed in locations with known flood risks.
In one case, planning permission was granted for a one-off house in Co Galway, even though photographs were submitted with the site under water.
And Galway-based developers Oyster Homes has sought planning permission for the second time for a large development in Carrick on Shannon, even though the site is at risk of flooding, while new homes built in Co Limerick could be at risk of being washed away because they are so close to the river bank.
Chief executive of the Northern Fisheries Board, Harry Lloyd, said yesterday that the widespread flooding that hit Carlow was because large parts of the floodplain were built upon in the 1960s.
There was no excuse for not knowing if land was prone to flooding as risk assessment maps could be built quite easily, he said.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
New planning guidelines due to be published soon will force councillors to adhere to national policy when granting permission.
This will, in effect, strip them of the power to compel county managements to allow areas at risk of flooding to be built on.
This is sure to anger councillors, who are already claiming their powers are being eroded. Elected members can currently invoke a section 140, which orders the county or city manager to grant permission for particular developments, even against best advice.
But the new laws will mean they will no longer be able to legally do so.
Last month, Environment Minister John Gormley said that, under the new guidelines, development would only be allowed in exceptional circumstances in areas at risk of flooding.
Approval
These will not place an outright ban on building on floodplains, but will mean that new developments will only get approval with strong justification.
Last month, two Midlands councils zoned a floodplain on the outskirts of a town centre for development -- despite warnings from the Office of Public Works about flood risks.
Offaly County Council and Tullamore Town Council proposed a multi-million euro scheme to develop the Grand Canal Quarter in Tullamore, an area which is prone to flooding. A majority of councillors backed the plans, just weeks before the new guidelines are due to be announced.
Planning sources said yesterday that councillors often relied on flood risk reports from consultants who were also employed by the developers seeking planning permission.
"A consultant will always say flooding won't happen because they're paid to say so," one said. "Landowners tend to be relentless in seeking permission -- they keep coming back again and again."
The planning guidelines follow on claims that developments are being allowed in locations with known flood risks.
In one case, planning permission was granted for a one-off house in Co Galway, even though photographs were submitted with the site under water.
And Galway-based developers Oyster Homes has sought planning permission for the second time for a large development in Carrick on Shannon, even though the site is at risk of flooding, while new homes built in Co Limerick could be at risk of being washed away because they are so close to the river bank.
Chief executive of the Northern Fisheries Board, Harry Lloyd, said yesterday that the widespread flooding that hit Carlow was because large parts of the floodplain were built upon in the 1960s.
There was no excuse for not knowing if land was prone to flooding as risk assessment maps could be built quite easily, he said.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 31 August 2008
Gormley's flood plain plans may sink with no maps
Plans by environment minister John Gormley to restrict major developments on flood plains are under threat because there are no officially designated flood plains anywhere in the country.
Following recent floods throughout the country, Gormley said he would introduce new planning regulations which "essentially mean the end of any major construction on flood plains."
However, Tom Sherlock, an engineer with the Office of Public Works, said last week that while the OPW was working on predictive flood maps which would identify precise flood plains throughout the country, these would not be completed for another five or six years.
The first such official flood plain map covering the River Lee catchment area will be ready early next year. It will be followed later by similar flood predictive maps for the River Dodder in south Dublin and the River Suir in Waterford. The remainder should be ready by around 2013, Sherlock said.
These new maps will be colour coded which will indicate the flood risk running from one in 10 years (high) to one in 100 or 200 (low), he said.
The OPW does operate a publicly available flood map service on its website but this provides information on past flood events in a specific area. Though indicative of possible flooding in the future, it is not accurate, taking climate change into consideration.
In the meantime, Sherlock advised anybody who is thinking of buying a house or apartment to check with the OPW website to see if it is in an area that has been prone to flooding.
Guidelines for planning authorities with regard to proposed developments in areas at risk of flooding were produced last year but the Department said that Gormley's new regulations "are aimed at ensuring a more consistent rigorous and systematic approach to addressing flood risk management in the planning system through the comprehensive consideration of flood risk in preparing development plans."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Following recent floods throughout the country, Gormley said he would introduce new planning regulations which "essentially mean the end of any major construction on flood plains."
However, Tom Sherlock, an engineer with the Office of Public Works, said last week that while the OPW was working on predictive flood maps which would identify precise flood plains throughout the country, these would not be completed for another five or six years.
The first such official flood plain map covering the River Lee catchment area will be ready early next year. It will be followed later by similar flood predictive maps for the River Dodder in south Dublin and the River Suir in Waterford. The remainder should be ready by around 2013, Sherlock said.
These new maps will be colour coded which will indicate the flood risk running from one in 10 years (high) to one in 100 or 200 (low), he said.
The OPW does operate a publicly available flood map service on its website but this provides information on past flood events in a specific area. Though indicative of possible flooding in the future, it is not accurate, taking climate change into consideration.
In the meantime, Sherlock advised anybody who is thinking of buying a house or apartment to check with the OPW website to see if it is in an area that has been prone to flooding.
Guidelines for planning authorities with regard to proposed developments in areas at risk of flooding were produced last year but the Department said that Gormley's new regulations "are aimed at ensuring a more consistent rigorous and systematic approach to addressing flood risk management in the planning system through the comprehensive consideration of flood risk in preparing development plans."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Locals call for review of housing development after flooding
PEOPLE living in one of the worst affected areas of the Newcastle West floods are calling on Limerick County Council to review a decision to grant planning permission for a leading housing development for lands that were flooded.
A private developer was given permission to develop on the lands at Dromindeel.
A number of objectors unsuccessfully appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála.
Despite a recommendation from their own senior planning inspector that the development should be refused permission, An Bord Pleanála gave it the go-ahead.
The inspector, Brendan Wyse, in his report to An Bord Pleanála in June 2007 set out four reasons why it should be refused planning.
He stated: “Having regard to the submissions made in connection with the application and the appeal, the board is not satisfied that the issue of flood risk has been adequately addressed.”
In rejecting their own inspector’s recommendation, An Bord Pleanála said the development would not give rise to an increased risk of flooding.
As part of the planning permission, a condition is that the level of the land be raised. The land was badly affected in the August 1 floods when the River Arra burst its banks.
Local people say that it is now imperative for the council to review the planning in view of what happened.
Tom McCarthy, who was one of those who appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála, said they have drawn up a petition which has been signed by about 80 people.
He said: “We are sending this petition to the county council and the OPW for inclusion in their reports on the floods.”
He said the council should acquire the land by compulsory purchase order and turn it into a local park.
He said: “A report on flooding carried out by the OPW some years ago said a public park should be provided in this part of the town and this park could be used to act as a flood plain also in the event of flooding.”
Mr McCarthy said that if houses are developed on the lands, it will make the Dromindeel area of Newcastle West more vulnerable in the event of flooding of the River Arra.
He said it was a matter of urgency, given what happened on August 1, that the use of the lands be reviewed and a plan drawn up to secure it’s future use as an open space.
Meanwhile, the clean up is still continuing in Newcastle West and the local Lions Club have set up an account in the local branch of AIB to provide financial relief for those worst affected by the floods.
Limerick County Council have commenced work on a report on the flooding and are consulting with all those affected.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
A private developer was given permission to develop on the lands at Dromindeel.
A number of objectors unsuccessfully appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála.
Despite a recommendation from their own senior planning inspector that the development should be refused permission, An Bord Pleanála gave it the go-ahead.
The inspector, Brendan Wyse, in his report to An Bord Pleanála in June 2007 set out four reasons why it should be refused planning.
He stated: “Having regard to the submissions made in connection with the application and the appeal, the board is not satisfied that the issue of flood risk has been adequately addressed.”
In rejecting their own inspector’s recommendation, An Bord Pleanála said the development would not give rise to an increased risk of flooding.
As part of the planning permission, a condition is that the level of the land be raised. The land was badly affected in the August 1 floods when the River Arra burst its banks.
Local people say that it is now imperative for the council to review the planning in view of what happened.
Tom McCarthy, who was one of those who appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála, said they have drawn up a petition which has been signed by about 80 people.
He said: “We are sending this petition to the county council and the OPW for inclusion in their reports on the floods.”
He said the council should acquire the land by compulsory purchase order and turn it into a local park.
He said: “A report on flooding carried out by the OPW some years ago said a public park should be provided in this part of the town and this park could be used to act as a flood plain also in the event of flooding.”
Mr McCarthy said that if houses are developed on the lands, it will make the Dromindeel area of Newcastle West more vulnerable in the event of flooding of the River Arra.
He said it was a matter of urgency, given what happened on August 1, that the use of the lands be reviewed and a plan drawn up to secure it’s future use as an open space.
Meanwhile, the clean up is still continuing in Newcastle West and the local Lions Club have set up an account in the local branch of AIB to provide financial relief for those worst affected by the floods.
Limerick County Council have commenced work on a report on the flooding and are consulting with all those affected.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Higgins says one-off houses can solve flooding
A RETURN to one-off housing in rural areas could solve urban flooding, according to Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins.
Record torrential rain this month, which caused flooding problems in many parts of the country, should provide for a re-examination of planning policies that limit one-off housing, Mr Higgins said.
The Department of the Environment's Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines made it more difficult for potential homeowners to get planning permission to build one-off housing in rural areas, according to Mr Higgins.
He said that earlier this year, Minister for the Environment John Gormley published draft planning guidelines which would force developers and local authorities to build homes close to shops and schools.
Mr Higgins said it is often impossible for people in rural areas to obtain planning permission for housing.
As a result, many rural applicants are left with no other option but to move to urban locations to find somewhere to live.
"It stands to reason that if you have a huge volume of concrete structures in a confined area with tarmacadam roadways in the current era of climate change, then flooding will occur," Mr Higgins said.
He said a relaxation of planning regulations in rural areas would not alone lead to a greater and manageable population dispersal but would also restrict flooding because of soil permeability.
"Modern technology has the capability to cater for the problems previously caused by pollution from septic tank sewage disposal."
A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said the Minister would shortly publish guidelines that will ensure flood risk assessment becomes an integral part of the planning process. "Effective flood risk assessment within the planning process, good site selection and detailed design can ensure urban development proceeds without creating or exacerbating flood risk," he said.
In 2007, 30 per cent of residential plans granted permission were for single houses, usually located in rural areas, the spokesman said. "Ireland's planning authorities already operate a fairly flexible approach to rural settlement and urban and rural development trends are in proportion to the levels of population in urban and rural areas," he added.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Record torrential rain this month, which caused flooding problems in many parts of the country, should provide for a re-examination of planning policies that limit one-off housing, Mr Higgins said.
The Department of the Environment's Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines made it more difficult for potential homeowners to get planning permission to build one-off housing in rural areas, according to Mr Higgins.
He said that earlier this year, Minister for the Environment John Gormley published draft planning guidelines which would force developers and local authorities to build homes close to shops and schools.
Mr Higgins said it is often impossible for people in rural areas to obtain planning permission for housing.
As a result, many rural applicants are left with no other option but to move to urban locations to find somewhere to live.
"It stands to reason that if you have a huge volume of concrete structures in a confined area with tarmacadam roadways in the current era of climate change, then flooding will occur," Mr Higgins said.
He said a relaxation of planning regulations in rural areas would not alone lead to a greater and manageable population dispersal but would also restrict flooding because of soil permeability.
"Modern technology has the capability to cater for the problems previously caused by pollution from septic tank sewage disposal."
A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said the Minister would shortly publish guidelines that will ensure flood risk assessment becomes an integral part of the planning process. "Effective flood risk assessment within the planning process, good site selection and detailed design can ensure urban development proceeds without creating or exacerbating flood risk," he said.
In 2007, 30 per cent of residential plans granted permission were for single houses, usually located in rural areas, the spokesman said. "Ireland's planning authorities already operate a fairly flexible approach to rural settlement and urban and rural development trends are in proportion to the levels of population in urban and rural areas," he added.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Planners to clamp down on new homes in risky areas
New developments will be allowed in areas at risk of flooding only in exceptional circumstances, under strict new government guidelines.
The planning guidelines will not place an outright ban on building on flood plains, but will mean that new developments will only get approval with strong justification.
The move came as Environment Minister John Gormley donned a pair of wellies to visit Carlow town, where flooding has left residents angry over the decade-long delay to works to prevent flooding.
The minister last night vowed to fast-track a €30m flood-relief scheme in Carlow as a massive clean-up operation continued. Mr Gormley promised the tightening of government spending would not affect the project.
The Carlow flood-relief scheme has been designed and approved and is awaiting to go out to tender.
"It is important now that we proceed as quickly as possible with these flood-relief measures," said Mr Gormley.
He admitted that the administrative delays with the tendering of contracts for the schemes were "unacceptable".
"That's why I did give an absolute commitment to the council that we will ensure that money is made available and it happens."
The minister said he hoped these difficulties would be resolved in the short-term.
Guidelines
Mr Gormley also said his department would issue guidelines to ensure "proper planning" takes place in future where there are buildings in areas with a history of flooding.
A spate of flooding incidents in recent weeks has raised concerns that over-development may have caused some of the damage, as storm drains struggle to cope.
Under new guidelines, unless it can be proved to local authorities that flooding will not arise because of building on flood plains, planning permission is to be refused.
And local authorities will have to identify the flooding risk on areas of land they wish to rezone for development.
The planning acts already provide a local authority with the power to limit development in areas at risk, but the new procedures will provide clarity, a spokesman from the Department of the Environment said yesterday.
"We're providing clarity for planning authorities in assessing flooding risk," he said. "If you take a major urban centre and there's a town centre at risk of flooding, we're not blocking the local authority from considering development, but they must consider what to build -- not a hospital or sewerage treatment works, but maybe a car park."
The guidelines, drawn up by the Department of the Environment and Office of Public Works, will be published in the coming weeks, before going out for public consultation.
Last night, Labour's environment spokesperson Joanna Tuffy said that Carlow was just one of many towns in Ireland where flood relief works were "put on the long finger" and accused the Government of taking its "eye off the ball".
Mr Gormley refused to take responsibility for the problems in Carlow, stating that his department was not the agency which dealt with flooding. "That's the OPW (Office of Public Works). I think Minister Martin Mansergh will be back at the end of the week," he told the Irish Independent.
Paul Melia and Eimear Ni Bhraonain
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The planning guidelines will not place an outright ban on building on flood plains, but will mean that new developments will only get approval with strong justification.
The move came as Environment Minister John Gormley donned a pair of wellies to visit Carlow town, where flooding has left residents angry over the decade-long delay to works to prevent flooding.
The minister last night vowed to fast-track a €30m flood-relief scheme in Carlow as a massive clean-up operation continued. Mr Gormley promised the tightening of government spending would not affect the project.
The Carlow flood-relief scheme has been designed and approved and is awaiting to go out to tender.
"It is important now that we proceed as quickly as possible with these flood-relief measures," said Mr Gormley.
He admitted that the administrative delays with the tendering of contracts for the schemes were "unacceptable".
"That's why I did give an absolute commitment to the council that we will ensure that money is made available and it happens."
The minister said he hoped these difficulties would be resolved in the short-term.
Guidelines
Mr Gormley also said his department would issue guidelines to ensure "proper planning" takes place in future where there are buildings in areas with a history of flooding.
A spate of flooding incidents in recent weeks has raised concerns that over-development may have caused some of the damage, as storm drains struggle to cope.
Under new guidelines, unless it can be proved to local authorities that flooding will not arise because of building on flood plains, planning permission is to be refused.
And local authorities will have to identify the flooding risk on areas of land they wish to rezone for development.
The planning acts already provide a local authority with the power to limit development in areas at risk, but the new procedures will provide clarity, a spokesman from the Department of the Environment said yesterday.
"We're providing clarity for planning authorities in assessing flooding risk," he said. "If you take a major urban centre and there's a town centre at risk of flooding, we're not blocking the local authority from considering development, but they must consider what to build -- not a hospital or sewerage treatment works, but maybe a car park."
The guidelines, drawn up by the Department of the Environment and Office of Public Works, will be published in the coming weeks, before going out for public consultation.
Last night, Labour's environment spokesperson Joanna Tuffy said that Carlow was just one of many towns in Ireland where flood relief works were "put on the long finger" and accused the Government of taking its "eye off the ball".
Mr Gormley refused to take responsibility for the problems in Carlow, stating that his department was not the agency which dealt with flooding. "That's the OPW (Office of Public Works). I think Minister Martin Mansergh will be back at the end of the week," he told the Irish Independent.
Paul Melia and Eimear Ni Bhraonain
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Call to stop building on lands prone to flooding
LOCAL AUTHORITIES must stop rezoning land for housing on flood plains to avoid future flooding disasters, NUI Maynooth climatologist Prof John Sweeney has said.
Climate research indicated that extreme weather events, such as the heavy rainfalls which have caused flooding in recent days, were likely to become more common, Prof Sweeney said, and better planning was needed to avoid severe flooding.
The equivalent of a month's rain fell in parts of Dublin and other east coast areas on Saturday, resulting in flash flooding and travel chaos. More rain is expected in the coming days, with a risk of further flooding in already waterlogged areas, according to Met Éireanns.
Flood plains are areas beside rivers and streams which are covered in fine alluvial sediment which is laid down over years as a result of flooding. This sediment acts as a type of storage area for flood waters and helps to prevent floods spreading. However, if flood plains are built on, that water storage capacity is lost.
"Once you start urbanisation on flood plains, you remove the storage capability for flooding and the water ends up going into the main channel down stream," Prof Sweeney said. "Low-lying, more vulnerable areas should not be built on, we should not be putting people in there, and you have to be very careful about putting infrastructure such as roads and rail in."
Measures to protect buildings in areas prone to flooding can make matters worse as man-made barriers cause the water to move more quickly and flood other areas.
"When walls are put in around a development this can affect other areas and make the flood peak higher and the flood peak quicker than it otherwise would."
In recent decades there had been a huge amount of construction of flood plains, but householders may not be aware that their property was at risk.
"In the short term, a house could be built and sold and 10 years down the line, that's when the flooding happens, when the person who built and sold the house is long since departed leaving long-term flooding problems behind."
However, Prof Sweeney said developers were not necessarily the ones to blame.
"The problem starts earlier than with the developers. Local authorities rezone agricultural land for residential development and people are entitled to expect that if the land has been zoned for housing and they've bought a house built on it, that there isn't a problem."
Climate research was showing that rainfall amounts were increasing. While there was not yet sufficient evidence to attribute this to climate change, Prof Sweeney said, warmer conditions were likely to lead to increased rainfall because warm air holds more water vapour.
"The ultimate bottom line is that we shouldn't be rezoning in areas that are known to have a vulnerability to flooding. More conservative planning is what's needed, the precautionary principle needs to be applied more ruthlessly in order so that you don't put people at risk. You have to take a long-term view."
Earlier this year the Department of the Environment issued new planning guidelines to local authorities which recommended land in areas at the highest-risk from flooding should be used for amenity purposes and parking, ahead of housing, however it did not propose a ban on building on flood plains.
The department, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works, is finalising further guidelines in relation to flood risk management. However, these will not prohibit residential development on flood plains, a department official said.
Rain will spread eastwards tonight and tomorrow, but will also remain heavy in Connacht, Munster and Ulster, according to Met Éireann.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Climate research indicated that extreme weather events, such as the heavy rainfalls which have caused flooding in recent days, were likely to become more common, Prof Sweeney said, and better planning was needed to avoid severe flooding.
The equivalent of a month's rain fell in parts of Dublin and other east coast areas on Saturday, resulting in flash flooding and travel chaos. More rain is expected in the coming days, with a risk of further flooding in already waterlogged areas, according to Met Éireanns.
Flood plains are areas beside rivers and streams which are covered in fine alluvial sediment which is laid down over years as a result of flooding. This sediment acts as a type of storage area for flood waters and helps to prevent floods spreading. However, if flood plains are built on, that water storage capacity is lost.
"Once you start urbanisation on flood plains, you remove the storage capability for flooding and the water ends up going into the main channel down stream," Prof Sweeney said. "Low-lying, more vulnerable areas should not be built on, we should not be putting people in there, and you have to be very careful about putting infrastructure such as roads and rail in."
Measures to protect buildings in areas prone to flooding can make matters worse as man-made barriers cause the water to move more quickly and flood other areas.
"When walls are put in around a development this can affect other areas and make the flood peak higher and the flood peak quicker than it otherwise would."
In recent decades there had been a huge amount of construction of flood plains, but householders may not be aware that their property was at risk.
"In the short term, a house could be built and sold and 10 years down the line, that's when the flooding happens, when the person who built and sold the house is long since departed leaving long-term flooding problems behind."
However, Prof Sweeney said developers were not necessarily the ones to blame.
"The problem starts earlier than with the developers. Local authorities rezone agricultural land for residential development and people are entitled to expect that if the land has been zoned for housing and they've bought a house built on it, that there isn't a problem."
Climate research was showing that rainfall amounts were increasing. While there was not yet sufficient evidence to attribute this to climate change, Prof Sweeney said, warmer conditions were likely to lead to increased rainfall because warm air holds more water vapour.
"The ultimate bottom line is that we shouldn't be rezoning in areas that are known to have a vulnerability to flooding. More conservative planning is what's needed, the precautionary principle needs to be applied more ruthlessly in order so that you don't put people at risk. You have to take a long-term view."
Earlier this year the Department of the Environment issued new planning guidelines to local authorities which recommended land in areas at the highest-risk from flooding should be used for amenity purposes and parking, ahead of housing, however it did not propose a ban on building on flood plains.
The department, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works, is finalising further guidelines in relation to flood risk management. However, these will not prohibit residential development on flood plains, a department official said.
Rain will spread eastwards tonight and tomorrow, but will also remain heavy in Connacht, Munster and Ulster, according to Met Éireann.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 5 May 2008
Here comes the rain again. . .
PARTS of the south west including Limerick city could soon be at risk of severe flooding unless radical proposals to counteract the effects of climate change are introduced soon. While a predicted rise in winter storms is expected to leave previously unaffected areas of the country prone to flooding, some experts say methods currently used to counteract the problem, particularly the construction of flood barriers, are costly, outmoded and ineffective. And it has been claimed that politicians lack the political will to take the unpopular decisions necessary to avoid the growing threat of widespread seasonal flooding.
A recent Met Eireann report on global warming predicts an "an elevated risk of flooding", particularly in the southwest of the country.
According to Ian Lumley, heritage officer with An Taisce, the anticipated rise in rainfall in the north of country will exacerbate flooding further south. "If you have more concentrated periods of heavy rainfall that will ultimately filter down the Shannon basin, and Limerick and other locations are going to be facing flood risks that they didn't previously have."
He believes flood barriers planned for vulnerable urban areas including are potentially dangerous, and ultimately ineffective. "The more you rely on heavy engineering solutions such as embankments or walls, the greater the risk of something going wrong."
Speeding Up Water Flow Lumley claims consultants employed by developers to assess the impact of building on a flood plain will always produce a report endorsing the client's proposals. "The consultant will always propose raising the ground level of the client s property. The fact is, if you raise the ground level to accommodate a retail development or housing you have a knock on effect both upstream and downstream. You are impeding the down water river flow by causing a tailback above your site and at the same time you are speeding up the water flow to the land downstream."
A further problem, Lumley claims, is that consultants are working with what is now out of date data. "Consultants make projections based on what s referred to as a 100year event. They look at the highest recorded flood levels over the last century. What they're not making allowance for is the fact that past data is no longer relevant because we're into a changed situation as far as calculating future flooding is concerned. What we need is a proper national flood map."
According to Tony Lowes of the Friends of the Irish Environment conservation group, environmental impact assessments (EIAs) consistently underestimate the impact of proposed commercial development on flood plain land. "If you put two or three Tescos dotted along a river and they're on the edge of a flood plain, every time you do that people living downstream are going to face more intense onslaughts of water. But if you look at the EIA it will claim the development is on a very small area of the flood plain and it's not going to have that much of an impact. But the fact that you're reducing the area of land mass capable of absorbing water and at the same time you're speeding up the flow, it's inevitable that people in other areas will suffer the consequences."
Audacious Solution Lumley's solution is radical and probably too controversial to win public support or the backing of local authorities.
"If you're really serious about protecting towns like Clonmel and Carrick you need to build weirs upstream and use them to stop the surge of water by allowing agricultural land to be flooded. Obviously this would be a highly controversial solution and issues of compensation would arise.
"The problem is that for 70 years it's been state policy to actually prevent that happening. The OPW and Teagasc have been working to maximise the use of flood plain land in river valleys. So there is less and less land actually capable of absorbing flood and that exacerbates the downward surge of water running through urban centres."
"Drainage is going on at pace around the country with no regard for the fact we need tracts of soggy land as it acts like a sponge absorbing excess water, " Lowes says. "Bord na Mona has been doing this to our bogs for decades. At this stage, the obsession with draining the Shannon has become part of the Irish psyche."
Lowes points to the demolition of the Ballymun towers as a good example of how urban sprawl contributes to the problem of flooding in builtup areas. "Ballymun is already prone to flooding because the drainage system which was put in place in the 19th century consists of piping that's no more than a metre wide. By replacing the high-rise towers with houses the city council has more than doubled the covered-over surface area in the locality. They've diminished the ability of the ground to absorb water and they've also increased the speed at which the water will flood."
Insurance Hike Commercial and residential property owners are already paying higher insurance premiums on buildings located in what are regarded as high risk areas. "There are areas of the country which attract a specific loading from the insurance companies for flood risk, " says Conor Faughnan of AA Insurance. "It's worth pointing out though that there have been fewer severe flooding incidents in the last couple of years than there were in 2005 and for a few years prior to that. Everyone accepts that climate change is real, but the symptoms of it are rather flukey and unpredictable."
The OPW has launched a website (www. flooding. ie) where historic and predictive information can be viewed and it also offers practical advice for householders whose properties have suffered flooding. It also includes suggested draft guidelines on flood risk management for consideration by local authorities.
"We see it as an anomaly that the department of the environment is promoting strategic planning while the OPW is responsible for flood management. The two should be integrated, " says Lumley.
"The truth is there are vested interests opposing the radical solutions that need to be implemented. Unfortunately there is no political appetite to take those interests on. There is no obvious evidence of the national leadership that's required on the issue."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
A recent Met Eireann report on global warming predicts an "an elevated risk of flooding", particularly in the southwest of the country.
According to Ian Lumley, heritage officer with An Taisce, the anticipated rise in rainfall in the north of country will exacerbate flooding further south. "If you have more concentrated periods of heavy rainfall that will ultimately filter down the Shannon basin, and Limerick and other locations are going to be facing flood risks that they didn't previously have."
He believes flood barriers planned for vulnerable urban areas including are potentially dangerous, and ultimately ineffective. "The more you rely on heavy engineering solutions such as embankments or walls, the greater the risk of something going wrong."
Speeding Up Water Flow Lumley claims consultants employed by developers to assess the impact of building on a flood plain will always produce a report endorsing the client's proposals. "The consultant will always propose raising the ground level of the client s property. The fact is, if you raise the ground level to accommodate a retail development or housing you have a knock on effect both upstream and downstream. You are impeding the down water river flow by causing a tailback above your site and at the same time you are speeding up the water flow to the land downstream."
A further problem, Lumley claims, is that consultants are working with what is now out of date data. "Consultants make projections based on what s referred to as a 100year event. They look at the highest recorded flood levels over the last century. What they're not making allowance for is the fact that past data is no longer relevant because we're into a changed situation as far as calculating future flooding is concerned. What we need is a proper national flood map."
According to Tony Lowes of the Friends of the Irish Environment conservation group, environmental impact assessments (EIAs) consistently underestimate the impact of proposed commercial development on flood plain land. "If you put two or three Tescos dotted along a river and they're on the edge of a flood plain, every time you do that people living downstream are going to face more intense onslaughts of water. But if you look at the EIA it will claim the development is on a very small area of the flood plain and it's not going to have that much of an impact. But the fact that you're reducing the area of land mass capable of absorbing water and at the same time you're speeding up the flow, it's inevitable that people in other areas will suffer the consequences."
Audacious Solution Lumley's solution is radical and probably too controversial to win public support or the backing of local authorities.
"If you're really serious about protecting towns like Clonmel and Carrick you need to build weirs upstream and use them to stop the surge of water by allowing agricultural land to be flooded. Obviously this would be a highly controversial solution and issues of compensation would arise.
"The problem is that for 70 years it's been state policy to actually prevent that happening. The OPW and Teagasc have been working to maximise the use of flood plain land in river valleys. So there is less and less land actually capable of absorbing flood and that exacerbates the downward surge of water running through urban centres."
"Drainage is going on at pace around the country with no regard for the fact we need tracts of soggy land as it acts like a sponge absorbing excess water, " Lowes says. "Bord na Mona has been doing this to our bogs for decades. At this stage, the obsession with draining the Shannon has become part of the Irish psyche."
Lowes points to the demolition of the Ballymun towers as a good example of how urban sprawl contributes to the problem of flooding in builtup areas. "Ballymun is already prone to flooding because the drainage system which was put in place in the 19th century consists of piping that's no more than a metre wide. By replacing the high-rise towers with houses the city council has more than doubled the covered-over surface area in the locality. They've diminished the ability of the ground to absorb water and they've also increased the speed at which the water will flood."
Insurance Hike Commercial and residential property owners are already paying higher insurance premiums on buildings located in what are regarded as high risk areas. "There are areas of the country which attract a specific loading from the insurance companies for flood risk, " says Conor Faughnan of AA Insurance. "It's worth pointing out though that there have been fewer severe flooding incidents in the last couple of years than there were in 2005 and for a few years prior to that. Everyone accepts that climate change is real, but the symptoms of it are rather flukey and unpredictable."
The OPW has launched a website (www. flooding. ie) where historic and predictive information can be viewed and it also offers practical advice for householders whose properties have suffered flooding. It also includes suggested draft guidelines on flood risk management for consideration by local authorities.
"We see it as an anomaly that the department of the environment is promoting strategic planning while the OPW is responsible for flood management. The two should be integrated, " says Lumley.
"The truth is there are vested interests opposing the radical solutions that need to be implemented. Unfortunately there is no political appetite to take those interests on. There is no obvious evidence of the national leadership that's required on the issue."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Flooding prompts fast-track of relief measures
FLOOD relief plans are set to be fast-tracked in some of Ireland's most vulnerable river valleys, but heavy rain is expected to swamp more areas in the coming days.
The Department of Environment, the Office of Public Works and the Department of Finance are to examine ways of accelerating flood projects as Ireland's clean-up bill for the nationwide series of floods last week continues to spiral.
In Cork alone, the clean-up and damages bills for the floods are put at an estimated €10m, and that is unlikely to be the final bill as a storm may yet sweep across the country later this week.
"The weather will stay in a very unsettled mode, there's no sign of a let-up really," a Met Eireann forecaster said yesterday. "The southern half of England I expect to be flooded out tomorrow morning but the very worst of that will probably pass the south of Ireland.
"Unfortunately, some will hit hard tonight in south Munster and south Leinster, and these are the areas worst affected from recent rains and things could get worse there.
Blustery showers are predicted for today and tomorrow, but during Thursday and Friday the weather is set to get even worse.
"It could turn stormy in places across the country," the forecaster said. "Rain is likely to be very widespread and it could exacerbate the existing flooding."
Progress
Junior Finance Minister Noel Ahern, who is responsible for the OPW, has admitted that accelerated progress now needs to be achieved with flood plans.
Mr Ahern dismissed opposition party claims that under-funding has been responsible for the painfully slow progress to date.
In north Cork, a flood relief plan for the Blackwater valley was unveiled in 2005 but only partial works have been undertaken in Mallow to date.
None of these works were able to prevent the flooding which last week left parts of the town under 10ft of water.
The full flood relief programme is not expected to be completed for two years.
In Fermoy, no work has been undertaken to date.
Environment Minister John Gormley acknowledged that flood relief plans need to be accelerated. Mr Gormley stressed that while Mr Ahern will co-ordinate the OPW flood relief plans, his department will focus on ways of expediting various flood reports and studies.
Jason O'Brien and Ralph Reigel
www.buckplanning.ie
The Department of Environment, the Office of Public Works and the Department of Finance are to examine ways of accelerating flood projects as Ireland's clean-up bill for the nationwide series of floods last week continues to spiral.
In Cork alone, the clean-up and damages bills for the floods are put at an estimated €10m, and that is unlikely to be the final bill as a storm may yet sweep across the country later this week.
"The weather will stay in a very unsettled mode, there's no sign of a let-up really," a Met Eireann forecaster said yesterday. "The southern half of England I expect to be flooded out tomorrow morning but the very worst of that will probably pass the south of Ireland.
"Unfortunately, some will hit hard tonight in south Munster and south Leinster, and these are the areas worst affected from recent rains and things could get worse there.
Blustery showers are predicted for today and tomorrow, but during Thursday and Friday the weather is set to get even worse.
"It could turn stormy in places across the country," the forecaster said. "Rain is likely to be very widespread and it could exacerbate the existing flooding."
Progress
Junior Finance Minister Noel Ahern, who is responsible for the OPW, has admitted that accelerated progress now needs to be achieved with flood plans.
Mr Ahern dismissed opposition party claims that under-funding has been responsible for the painfully slow progress to date.
In north Cork, a flood relief plan for the Blackwater valley was unveiled in 2005 but only partial works have been undertaken in Mallow to date.
None of these works were able to prevent the flooding which last week left parts of the town under 10ft of water.
The full flood relief programme is not expected to be completed for two years.
In Fermoy, no work has been undertaken to date.
Environment Minister John Gormley acknowledged that flood relief plans need to be accelerated. Mr Gormley stressed that while Mr Ahern will co-ordinate the OPW flood relief plans, his department will focus on ways of expediting various flood reports and studies.
Jason O'Brien and Ralph Reigel
www.buckplanning.ie
Saturday, 12 January 2008
Flooding must be a wake-up call, says Gormley
FLOODS and storm damage must serve as an urgent wake-up call to Ireland that adaptation is required if we are to cope with the worsening impact of global climate change.
Environment Minister John Gormley warned last night that national flood relief programmes must be fast tracked if Ireland is to ensure that vital national infrastructure is able to cope with the escalating impact of climate change.
A massive clean-up operation began in Fermoy yesterday as residents, insurers and local authorities faced into a damages bill which could run to tens of millions.
Mr Gormley warned that, if climate change predictions are correct, Ireland may have to cope with much more severe storms and flooding in the coming years.
"This is very important because I think people have to realise that climate change is not something that is going to happen in the future -- climate change is now. It is happening right now," he said.
But the opposition said that serious flooding, hitting Mallow and Fermoy worst, could have been minimised if flood defence programmes had been speeded up.
Mr Gormley said that recent floods are indications that our weather pattern is changing -- and Ireland must adapt its crucial infrastructure to cope.
He said the clock is now ticking on how Ireland prepares for severe changes in climate.
"We have to do this as quickly as possible and I know this from my own area because I live in Ringsend which is also subject to flooding. We have to accelerate that," he said.
Mr Gormley stressed that while national flood relief programmes are a matter for the Office of Public Works (OPW), he wants to see environmental and engineering assessment reports accelerated.
But the serious flooding has prompted complaints from the opposition about a three-year delay in getting flood prevention schemes in place.
Scepticism
Labour Cork East TD Sean Sherlock said the €30m plan for Mallow was only partly completed and was missing its most important elements -- defensive flood barriers and demountable walls to protect the town from flooding from the River Blackwater.
"A scheme that was initially mooting as taking five years to complete is not even at the halfway mark and it's now three years later. We're waiting for the next tranches of funding for it now."
He also expressed scepticism about the announcement that long-awaited flood relief scheme for Fermoy, first announced in 2005, would go ahead.
Back in 2004, Clonmel suffered from serious flooding and there were calls for a €30m flood prevention scheme to be put in place.
Among those highlighting the problem was Fianna Fail's Martin Mansergh, who told the Seanad that it was a "serious and high priority".
Yesterday Mr Mansergh, now a TD for Tipperary South, said he was disappointed at the delay in the scheme, which only began construction last September.
Homes in Mallow and Fermoy were left under almost 15cm of stinking sludge after the River Blackwater floods receded -- while Cork Co Council, Eircom and the ESB began a detailed assessment of the extent of the damage caused both to infrastructure and utilities.
A number of businesses lost valuable stock -- and several confirmed that they were unable to secure flood insurance cover over recent years because of the risk posed by the River Blackwater.
One premises has now been flooded six times in the past 11 years.
In some homes, water levels approached 50 cm.
Ralph Riegel Michael Brennan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Environment Minister John Gormley warned last night that national flood relief programmes must be fast tracked if Ireland is to ensure that vital national infrastructure is able to cope with the escalating impact of climate change.
A massive clean-up operation began in Fermoy yesterday as residents, insurers and local authorities faced into a damages bill which could run to tens of millions.
Mr Gormley warned that, if climate change predictions are correct, Ireland may have to cope with much more severe storms and flooding in the coming years.
"This is very important because I think people have to realise that climate change is not something that is going to happen in the future -- climate change is now. It is happening right now," he said.
But the opposition said that serious flooding, hitting Mallow and Fermoy worst, could have been minimised if flood defence programmes had been speeded up.
Mr Gormley said that recent floods are indications that our weather pattern is changing -- and Ireland must adapt its crucial infrastructure to cope.
He said the clock is now ticking on how Ireland prepares for severe changes in climate.
"We have to do this as quickly as possible and I know this from my own area because I live in Ringsend which is also subject to flooding. We have to accelerate that," he said.
Mr Gormley stressed that while national flood relief programmes are a matter for the Office of Public Works (OPW), he wants to see environmental and engineering assessment reports accelerated.
But the serious flooding has prompted complaints from the opposition about a three-year delay in getting flood prevention schemes in place.
Scepticism
Labour Cork East TD Sean Sherlock said the €30m plan for Mallow was only partly completed and was missing its most important elements -- defensive flood barriers and demountable walls to protect the town from flooding from the River Blackwater.
"A scheme that was initially mooting as taking five years to complete is not even at the halfway mark and it's now three years later. We're waiting for the next tranches of funding for it now."
He also expressed scepticism about the announcement that long-awaited flood relief scheme for Fermoy, first announced in 2005, would go ahead.
Back in 2004, Clonmel suffered from serious flooding and there were calls for a €30m flood prevention scheme to be put in place.
Among those highlighting the problem was Fianna Fail's Martin Mansergh, who told the Seanad that it was a "serious and high priority".
Yesterday Mr Mansergh, now a TD for Tipperary South, said he was disappointed at the delay in the scheme, which only began construction last September.
Homes in Mallow and Fermoy were left under almost 15cm of stinking sludge after the River Blackwater floods receded -- while Cork Co Council, Eircom and the ESB began a detailed assessment of the extent of the damage caused both to infrastructure and utilities.
A number of businesses lost valuable stock -- and several confirmed that they were unable to secure flood insurance cover over recent years because of the risk posed by the River Blackwater.
One premises has now been flooded six times in the past 11 years.
In some homes, water levels approached 50 cm.
Ralph Riegel Michael Brennan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
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