€30,000 – no action

€30,000 spent, no action

Mayo County Council and OPW at odds over responsibility for Newport flooding repairs

Claire Egan

FOUR years after Mayo County Council hired a top engineering firm – at a cost of €30,000 –to find a solution to the flooding problems in Newport, the recommendations of the resultant report have not been implemented.
Furthermore, the Office of Public Works told Mayo County Council over a year ago that the main cause of flooding in the area is the lack of maintenance work by the local authority on a drainage pipe – and that responsibility for that maintenance rests with the Council.
In February 2004, Mayo County Council’s Director of Services for the Westport area, Mr Peter Hynes, commissioned an independent report in order to find a ‘solution’ to rectify flooding at Quay Street in the town of Newport. The services of Dublin-based project management company, EG Pettit & Co, were employed for this purpose, which was in response to a ‘major flooding incidence’ the previous weekend, January 31, 2004.
A preliminary report presented to the Council in May 2004 was subsequently revised and re-submitted in March 2005, following further flooding in January 2005.
In its report, the company identified four possible solutions to alleviate the persistent flooding of what is called the ‘Bleachyard Drainage Ditch’. The option it recommended as best – on the basis of cost, expediency and ease of construction – was that ‘flood alleviation be provided by the construction of an augmentation culvert wholly within Quay Road and of adequate size to prevent flooding upstream on the Glenshesk [sic] Road’.
Other recommended works included in this option were the construction of a security screen on the discharge to Newport Channel, diversion of existing services in Quay Road and the construction of a trash/security screen at a specific location on the drain.
The total cost of the works was estimated at €245,000, excluding VAT.
A request for funding was made to the Office of Public Works by County Engineer, Mr Joe Beirne, on June 10, 2005. It stated that funding was being sought for the purpose of carrying out the proposals of EG Pettit, ‘providing for the laying of 267m of 1,200mm diameter culvert in the Quay Road and some additional works on the George’s Street culvert/Glenhest road, at a total cost of €351,850’.
The OPW responded, in a document dated December 22, 2006, outlining that, ‘the Bleachyard Drainage Ditch forms part of the Camcloon Drainage District and responsibility for maintenance of this drainage district lies with Mayo County Council’. The response further added that ‘it would appear that the primary cause of flooding in this vicinity is likely to be a lack of maintenance work within the channel, coupled with a number of inadequately-sized culverts along the run of the channel to private dwellings and also upstream of the Holy Family National School’.
However, Director of Services for the Westport area, Mr Peter Hynes, told The Mayo News this week that the flooding issue at Quay Street did not relate specifically to the maintenance of the drainage pipe but rather involved a number of issues, including tidal currents and the surrounding terrain.
“It is not simply a maintenance problem; this requires a major infra-structural development. We looked for funding for this from the OPW and we were refused but we will seek to have the project funded and will carry out work in conjunction with the Newport Sewerage Scheme. This is not simply a maintenance issue, as we all well know,” said Mr Hynes. He added that some ‘works’ had been carried out over 18 months ago in the area.
Last Monday night, George’s Street residents, Angela and Martin Corcoran, woke to find flood waters cascading into their family-run drapery store, destroying an extensive stock room and a private apartment. This was the second flooding incident on the premises in the space of six weeks. The family told The Mayo News that they have been affected by flooding on a regular basis.
“On last Monday night, tide levels were at 4.3 metres while there was 36mm of rainfall on the night. We are still looking at the influence of the tides,” Mr Hynes said yesterday (Monday).
Mr Hynes added that at present engineering staff are carrying out an assessment of the situation and will issue their findings shortly.
“We are in the process of completing our assessment. It is also our intention to return to the EGP report and look at the options once again.”