Blackpool development: Greenway proposed by traders  

BLACKPOOL Traders Group will present a plan for a new 25km greenway from Blackpool to Blarney, at a public meeting later this week in Cork city, despite opposition from a local environmental campaign group who say it will endanger local wildlife.

The greenway would run for a 350m stretch through Blackpool village, and cross the River Bride over a proposed culvert that has met with opposition from the Save Our Bride Otters (SOBO) group.

Mick Moriarty, proprietor of the famous ‘Baldy Barber’ in William O’Brien Street, is a spokesperson for the Blackpool Traders, which has about 25 members. Mr Moriarty said all are invited to the public meeting in the Glen Rover Hall on April 14.

“I’m 30 years waiting for Blackpool to be finished properly,” said Mr Moriarty. “I went to all the meetings long ago before the shopping centre was built. Then we got flooded in 2009. No one has flood insurance.”

The traders want to see the flood defences addressed, and will work with the BusConnects plan to ensure residents and business people are satisfied.

“We have 23 traders, and a lot of them have their family homes up against the banks,” added Mr Moriarty. Without flood insurance, their futures will always remain in doubt.

Local councillors and TDs are invited to the open meeting at 7pm on Friday. Mr Moriarty said he was aware of the SOBO campaign, which does not want a culvert at Orchard Court over the River Bride, an important species habitat for otters according to SOBO.

The urban greenway would run out to Blarney eventually, and be built in conjunction with the Office of Public Works (OPW).

Mr Moriarty has said his barber shop is open to all, and he is willing to talk to any concerned citizen about the impact the greenway may have.

In 2021, plans for a new flood relief scheme for Blackpool were approved costing €20m, which included a proposed 350m culvert over the river.

This scheme has been paused as the culvert has been at the centre of an unresolved legal objection by SOBO. Plans for the greenway to run over the culvert cannot be advanced until the culvert issue is resolved.

“We’ll see what the OPW and the planners say,” said Mr Moriarty. 

“We’re making this proposal out to Blarney, and I believe the people in Blarney are delighted with it.”

Mr Moriarty highlighted the closure of five pubs near the Baldy Barber in recent years.

“We all fight for our area,” he said.

“I’ve been flooded three times since the major flood a couple of years ago. I had to clean it all up and pay my own staff out of my own pocket. We were closed for three days.

“The residents have to be looked after as well.”

Other view: 'Blackpool deserves better' 

SOBO spokesperson Chris Moody said it does not make sense to put the greenway over the river, and generally, greenways run alongside rivers.

“Putting a greenway over a river is getting rid of a bit of nature, and replacing it with an artificial surface,” he said. “It’s just ridiculous. The OPW plan for Blackpool is absolutely terrible,” he added.

“In Douglas we have stone clad walls and a park, and some would say even that it isn’t the greatest solution but it’s a long way from culverting over the river.

“I absolutely believe that Blackpool deserves much better than this. Our local politicians should be fighting for something far better and looking towards the future of Blackpool.”

Flooding in Blackpool is complicated by many factors, including the fact there are two rivers, the Glen River and the River Bride. “There are massive developments on floodplains above Blackpool,” Mr Moody added.

“We have to look at the causes properly. Sometimes the causes are unpleasant truths.”

SOBO advocates that the flooding problems in Blackpool can be solved by storing the waters upstream.

Such engineering has already been achieved in Clonakilty, to reduce the height of water downstream. Residents there were unhappy with high walls in the town.

“The idea is to contain the problem rather than drain it,” said Mr Moody.

“The current plan for Blackpool is to remove all of the restrictions that are upstream of Blackpool village.”

A 200-year old twin arch bridge called Fitz’s Boithrín, and another bridge further up, act as restrictions on the flow of water as it enters Blackpool.

The OPW’s aim is to remove these impediments and “flush” the water through a culvert under Blackpool village, and install eight proposed surface water pumps to keep the water off the streets.

Two options were presented to the public: one was walls, and the other is the culvert plan, “the preferred option from the get go”.

Unfortunately, said Mr Moody, the community in Blackpool is divided, between the business people who are constantly flooded, and some environmentalists who have objected to the culvert.

“There is a better solution for Blackpool that doesn’t involve this massive construction, this massive disruption, this massive damage, that would suit everybody.” 

Mr Moody stated the OPW has made a “massive mess” in terms of its flood risk assessments. The flood scheme has been “bulldozed” ahead without proper consultation, he said.

“The best solution for everybody is upstream storage,” he added, claiming that the OPW had discussed this option, and that it was the cheapest.

However, this option was not taken up as the upstream storage was too far away and could be disrupted by storms.

“What really matters is, does it reduce the level of flooding in Blackpool village?” asked Mr Moody.

“In their options report, upstream storage was deemed the most effective in terms of level reduction in Blackpool village.

“Four options were available, including upstream storage, high walls through Orchard Court, the replacement of an existing culvert at Watercourse Road, and culverting.”

SOBO’s legal challenge has been submitted and Mr Moody said he is waiting to hear back on it, adding “there has been very little feedback about anything”.