Ballinhassig Flood Relief Scheme finally underway
After a lengthy process, Malachy Walsh and Partners have been appointed as consultants to the Ballinhassig Village Flood Relief Scheme.
This marks the first stage of the development of a flood relief scheme which will protect eight residential properties located close to Ballinhassig Village.
The homes, which don’t have flood insurance and are in close proximity to the Owenabue River, have been flooded numerous times since 2009, most recently during Storm Babet in October.
Following the 2009 flood, Cork County Council initiated an investigation, leading to the allocation of €1.4 million by the OPW for the Ballinhassig Flood Relief Scheme.
Although the project had initially gone out to tender, an issue led to the council rejecting it, prompting the process to be restarted.
A recent meeting in the wake of Storm Babet revealed that the barrier might not be in place until 2025-2026, with no specified start date.
In light of this news, a GoFundMe page was set up in early November to help the residents, which raised €16,000 along with cash donations. In December, Ballinhassig Village Association set about building a barrier for the flood-striken homes, of which six of the eight are occupied by pensioners.
Denis McCarthy, Chairman of the Ballinhassig Village Association, said the work is now finished and the barrier is in place. “It was all completed on Monday, it took exactly one week to get it done.”
Asked about whether the community taking matters into their own hands may have encouraged the OPW and council to get the scheme underway, Denis said: “From our point of view, whether we kickstarted the OPW or not, doesn’t come into the equation, because what we did needed to be done. Our sole purpose was to safeguard the eight houses until such time that there was a flood barrier there,” he said.
“It is fantastic that there is movement at last and we are delighted that there is a consultant in place. But from a consultant being announced and a flood barrier being in place, I would imagine there is still going to be a lot if floods,” he added.
Speaking about the newly appointed consultants, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank O’Flynn, said: “The experience in Cork county during the extreme weather conditions brought by Storm Babet highlighted the devastation suffered by property owners in flood risk areas including the Ballinhassig residents.
“On behalf of Cork County Council, I would like to thank the OPW for their ongoing commitment, funding, and support for the delivery of this vital flood relief infrastructure.”
Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), Patrick O’Donovan, TD said: “The development of this scheme will be effective in delivering a flood relief scheme to protect eight properties at risk of flooding in the village of Ballinhassig. My office and Cork County Council will continue to work together with Malachy Walsh and Partners to progress this scheme.”