Flood defence project a ‘key priority’ for city

THE Lord Mayor of Cork has said he is “very confident” the Morrison’s Island Public Realm and Flood Defence Project will help to protect businesses in the city centre from future tidal flooding when complete.

Councillor Kieran McCarthy was speaking following confirmation that the long-delayed scheme will go to tender before year end, with a view to works commencing in the second quarter of next year.

The Morrison’s Island Public Realm and Flood Defence Project has been stalled by legal challenges, but a Supreme Court decision last December cleared the way for works to commence.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council has now told The Echo that the scheme “is going to tender in the final quarter of this year”.

“The resulting tender submissions will be assessed and approved in Q1 next year with works expected to begin on site in Q2. It’s anticipated that the scheme will take over 20 months to fully complete."

Meanwhile, Mr McCarthy said he is "very confident that it will protect businesses in the city. I think there’s over 370 properties that will be protected".

“It’s not good enough that we have a river bursting its banks.

“Morrison’s Island, if we manage to future-proof there, I think we’ll be on a winner in the next few years, and we can develop the rest of the flood defence system then as well,” said Mr McCarthy.

He described the project as a “key priority” in both the eyes of the council’s management team and many of his fellow councillors.

“It’s a key priority of Cork City Council, on the political and the executive side.

“I know a number of my colleagues, including myself, have been following up on this over the past five years.

“It’s been a very long, drawn-out process through the legal system,” he said.

The Morrison’s Island Public Realm and Flood Defence Project is being pursued as a separate project to the wider Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme (LLFRS).

The project is a Cork City Council-led public realm scheme, with flood defence elements part funded by the Office of Public Works (OPW).

The OPW say the scheme provides for “a complete renewal of the public space, from Parnell Bridge along to Parliament Bridge, including enhanced flood protection measures”.

Cork City Council’s chief executive Ann Doherty has previously described the scheme as a “critical infrastructural project”, with the minister with responsibility for the OPW, Patrick O’Donovan contending that, when completed, the project “will contribute towards defending the community and businesses in a significant area of Cork city centre from tidal flooding”.

The update on the scheme comes as parts of the city centre experienced consecutive days of flooding over the long weekend, with business representatives calling for flood defences to be put in place as a matter of urgency.

'Can't come soon enough'

Speaking to The Echo yesterday, president of the Cork Business Association (CBA) Kevin Herlihy said the association is “delighted that the flood defence project is finally going ahead”.

“It can’t come soon enough,” he said, adding that businesses in the city centre have “endured extensive hardship” with repeated flooding over the years.

“The objections have been overruled, so now it’s time to get the project started,” he said.

Approved by city councillors in 2018 following public consultation, the Morrison’s Island Public Realm and Flood Defence Project was subsequently approved by An Bord Pleanála in June 2020.

In August 2020, the Save Cork City Community Association Ltd applied for, and was granted, leave to take a judicial review of the decision to approve the project.

The judicial review hearing took place in July 2021, and the High Court upheld the decision to grant the planning permission for the proposed development, and refused a stay on the undertaking of any works, pursuant to the grant of the planning permission for the proposed development.

The scheme faced further legal challenge when an application was made directly to the Supreme Court by Save Cork City Community Association CLG (SCCA), and leave to appeal was granted in May 2022.

A spokesperson for the OPW told The Echo last year that the appeal focused “primarily on the jurisdiction of An Bord Pleanála to conduct an EIA screening, in an application made under s.177AE of the 2000 Act”.

The case came before the Supreme Court last December, where it dismissed the appeal.

SCCA said it would urge Cork City Council to “make compromise” on the planned works.

The group contended the proposals “could be far more sensitive to a heritage location”.