New consultation on Blackpool Flood Relief Scheme

A NEW round of public consultation concerning Blackpool’s flood relief scheme is to be opened in the second quarter of this year, a Cork TD has learned.

Fine Gael Deputy Colm Burke TD asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, a parliamentary question in the Dáil on May 11, “when it is proposed to release the Environmental Impact Statement which has now been completed with regard to the Blackpool flood relief scheme, which is required to be made available for public consultation before the project can proceed, and if he will make a statement on the matter.”

Mr Donohoe stated that following the outcome of Judicial Review proceedings regarding the consenting of the River Bride Blackpool Flood Relief Scheme, “my Department sought supplementary information from the Office of Public Works in February 2022.” This request was made under a European Union regulation of 2019.

The OPW submitted supplementary information to Mr Donohoe’s Department in October 2022 in the form of an addendum to the Environmental Impact Assessment Report, an addendum to the Natura Impact Statement and, a water body status assessment under the Water Framework Directive.

“Each of these assessments are already publicly available and can be found on floodinfo.ie alongside all other environmental assessments carried out on behalf of the OPW in the development of the proposed scheme,” wrote Mr Donohoe. 

“It is my intention to open this period of public consultation during Quarter II of this year and a notice outlining the details of this consultation will be made available on the Department’s website in due course,” he added. 

The current proposals are opposed by a group called ‘Save Our Bride Otters’. A spokesperson said: “It should be noted that the majority of submissions from the last round were not in favour of the OPW proposals for Blackpool.”