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Update on Clontarf Promenade Development and Flood Defence Project
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Update from Clontarf Residents’ Association:
- DCC Temporary Flood Defence Plan
At the last meeting of the Joint Working Group Dublin City Council (DCC) presented their proposal for a temporary flood defence plan. Their plan is as follows:
Mini-lighthouse and carpark access points | Vernon Avenue |
Wooden or aluminium barriers will be custom made and inserted to block the gaps. | A beaver dam will be used at Vernon Avenue to run between the end of the existing kerbside wall in front of the pumping station as far as the kerbside wall at the bus stop/car park. |
Oulton Road | Hollybrook Road |
At The Baths, the existing low wall that runs from the inside of the cycle track towards The Baths will be raised by approx 300mm or replaced by Jersey Barriers or replaced with a planted berm. The gap across the sea side pedestrian walkway between this defence and The Baths will be filled with the wooden or aluminium barriers. | Jersey barriers have replaced the sandbags and holly hedging has been planted on one side. |
DCC has promised to have these measures in place for next Winter. This proposal effectively provides the same level of defence, albeit with marginal improvement at The Baths, that is currently achieved when sandbags are deployed at all of the gaps in the existing kerbside wall. It also continues to rely on the availability of DCC personnel to deploy and remove these temporary measures in a timely manner.
- CRA & CBA Interim Flood Defence Plan
Clontarf Residents’ Association (CRA) and Clontarf Business Association (CBA), with the support of five local Councillors, put forward an alternative interim proposal to DCC. This proposal involved the construction of a 750mm high wall to replace the existing kerbside wall from Alfie Byrne Road to the Bull Wall with gates at access points and car park entrances. Last October, a similar option was considered by DCC as a replacement for the sandbags in the area of Hollybrook Road to Alfie Byrne Road.
This proposal would provide increased flood protection for all of the houses and businesses on the Clontarf Road and provide the full 1-in-200-year protection required for 20% of the premises. The provision of gates at entrances would minimise the manpower needed to close entrances and would eliminate the need to store flood defence apparatus. While this proposal would require Planning Permission, we believe that it could be included in or combined with the Uisce Eireann Watermain planning application. The construction phase could also include resurfacing of the cycle track which is on the NTA programme of works. DCC favours its own proposal.
Uisce Eireann Water main
Residents will be aware that Uisce Eireann will be installing a water pipe on the Promenade in 2027. This work will require Planning Permission.
UE plan to relocate their watermain from its original proposed location close to the Clontarf Road side of the Promenade to a new location close to the sea wall. CRA and CBA have pointed out that this new location may affect the options for a permanent redesign of the Promenade as a watermain wayleave in general prevents structures such as terracing, heightened sea wall or increased land heights. The CRA/CBA suggests Uisce Eireann revert to the original location.
Summary:
- The DCC temporary proposal
- is relatively inexpensive and will not require planning permission so could potentially be in place before next winter.
- It will maintain the existing level of protection. If fully implemented it will provide some additional protection around The Baths.
- It will, however, continue to require considerable ongoing manpower resources each time there is a flood alert. Experience with the sandbags and with the beaver dam in Galway also suggests temporary structures such as beaver dams and jersey barriers may be left in place for months or years.
- The CRA/CBA interim proposal would provide improved flood defence for all premises on the Clontarf Road. b. It would reduce the level of manpower needed to close gaps in the wall. c. It would, however, require more financial investment and would take additional time to deliver due to planning requirements.
- Uisce Eireann’s proposal to relocate their watermain has the potential to rule out permanent flood defence options.
- Ultimately, we need DCC to expedite the delivery of a design for Clontarf Promenade, including permanent flood defence, based on 4 agreed principles (since 2013):
- Provide coastal flood defence for 1-in-200-year event
- Protect the environment - adjacent to the UNESCO biosphere
- Promote the amenity – open public park with 24-hour access
- Preserve public safety – through passive surveillance visibility from Clontarf Road. We are inviting your views on each of these points.
We will compile responses and use them to inform our response to DCC.