Fail
to Plan-Plan to Fail
Dunkellin River and Aggard
Stream Flood Relief Project
NOTE: This document is not the Official Planning & Control document for
this project. The objective of this document is to keep the public
informed of project progress on social media and on-line platforms and
to support and complement those working directly on the project. This
document relies wholly on publicly available information from the
stakeholders involved in the initiation, planning and execution of the
project. In this context it is not the intention of this exercise to
undermine any authority involved with the execution of “Dunkellin River
and Aggard Stream Flood Relief Project”.
The works will consist of channel deepening in Craughwell village,
channel widening at Rinn Bridge, selective channel maintenance
downstream of the Rahasane Turlough and channel widening from Dunkellin
Bridge to the N18 in Kilcolgan. The project will also include the
completion of maintenance works and culvert replacement works along the
Aggard stream.
Project Integration
In 2010 a study on flooding on the Dunkellin River and the Aggard Stream (from Craughwell Village to Kilcolgan) was commissioned as a result of flooding that occurred in the area in November 2009. A previous application for a Flood Relief Project at Dunkellin River and Aggard Stream was withdrawn on 01/12/2011 (An Bord Pleanála Case reference: PL07 .JS0010)
Project Initiation
Project Definition
The Dunkellin River is a major watercourse in the
area with a total catchment of 373km2. In the vicinity of the village of
Craughwell to the point where it is joined by the Aggard Stream the
river is known as the Craughwell River. It flows largely in an east to
west direction entering Galway Bay at Kilcolgan. In the upstream area
east of Craughwell village the Dunkellin is composed of a dense network
of smaller streams which merge close to Craughwell. The other main
tributary of the Dunkellin is the Aggard Stream which joins the
Dunkellin downstream of Craughwell. This is a very small watercourse. In
Craughwell village is a bypass channel which takes some flow from the
Dunkellin in times of high water levels.
The area around the Dunkellin has a long history of
flooding. The Dunkellin and Aggard Stream form part of the Dunkellin
Drainage District constructed around 1857 which involved widening and
deepening of existing channels and removal of bends and creation of new
cuts. Its purpose was related to drainage of agricultural lands. A
further arterial drainage scheme was undertaken in the early 1920s and
1950. Flooding has regularly occurred notably in 2015, 2009 and 2005. At
the time the 2005 flood was a record event and then the 2009 exceeded
that event. More than 20 homes have been flooded in the area and many
roads blocked for more than six months at a time.
No works are proposed in Zone 2 of the Dunkellin
which encompasses the lands in the vicinity of and including Rahasane
Turlough.
Legislative Requirements
The following Legislation governs flood relief
projects.
Directive 2007/60/EC on the Assessment and
Management of Flood Risks.
Flood Policy Review Group in 2004 - Flood Policy
Review- Final Report.
The National Development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013.
Planning System and Flood Risk Management –
Guidelines for Local Authorities, 2009.
European Communities (Assessment and Management of
Flood Risks) 2010 (S.I. No. 122 of 2010).
Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management
(CFRAM) Programme.
Regional Planning Guidelines for the West
2012-2022. Policy SPP11: Objective SPO31:
Draft Regional Flood Risk Appraisal.
The Galway County Development Plan 2009-2015.
Objective HL40:
The Draft Galway County Development Plan 2015-2021.
Policy FL
Stakeholder Consultation
In March 2011, when the environmental assessment
work was being commenced, a letter was issued to twenty-nine statutory
and non-statutory stakeholders informing them of the commencement of the
environmental assessment of the proposed flood relief project and
seeking their feedback.
Two public information evenings were held in
Craughwell (17th May 2011 & 15th July 2014) during the course of
preparing the environmental reports for the project.
A number of meetings took place with Galway County
Council, the OPW, the design engineers, the environmental consultants
and various statutory bodies and interested parties
Undertake Environmental & Natura Impact Study
The EIS was carried out by RPS Group Ireland.
Work commenced on the EIS in the 1st quarter of 2010
and the report was signed off on 8thOctober 2014. The majority of the
information contained in this document has been sourced from the EIS and
from An Bord Pleanála’s report.
Project Charter
Goal
The over-riding goal of the project is to provide flood relief in the
catchments of the Dunkellin River and Aggard.
Stakeholders
Teagasc
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Geological Survey of Ireland
Development Applications Unit
Clarinbridge Oyster Co-Op Society Ltd
Inland Fisheries
National Roads Authority
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM)
An Taisce
Birdwatch Ireland
Bat Conservation Ireland
Fáilte Ireland - West
Western River Basin District Project Office
Heritage Officer, Galway CC
Environment Department, Galway CC
Water Services Unit, Galway CC
Planning Department, Galway CC
Roads & Transportation Unit, Galway CC
EPA Headquarters
Irish Farmers Association (Galway Branch)
The Marine Institute
IFA Aquaculture
Irish Shellfish Association
Galway Rural Development Company Ltd
Western Development Commission
Galway Archaeological and Historical Society
Irish Rail
National Roads Authority
Residents of the area
The General Public
Budget
The budget for the event is €6 million euro.
Funding
The project is to be funded by the Office of Public Works.
Timescale
The completion date is not determined yet and the duration of the
project is not established.
.
Resources
The resource requirements are:
To be established
Project
Roles
Briefly outline the roles of project human resources. (Project Team,
Sponsor, Steering Group etc.)
Signed
__________________________________
Date: ___________________
(Sponsor)
2012 - 2020 BPPM CRO Reg. No. 463423