A controversial Flood Risk Management Plan will move to the next stage following last evening’s meeting of Kilkenny County Council.
The OPW has committed 1 billion euro to a ten year programme for118 schemes nationally. Six of these are in Co Kilkenny at Ballyhale, Freshford, Graiguenamanagh, Inistioge, Piltown & Thomastown.
However, while the funds have been broadly welcomed locally, there have been concerns about an initial proposal which indicated that works could cut through the centre of GAA pitches in Ballyhale & Inistioge.
Following a lengthy and at times heated conversation at the local authority’s monthly meeting, & to allow for the project to proceed before its August 9th deadline, Councillor Matt Doran called for an amendment to cover each of the six areas which was subsequently agreed by elected representatives.
It means that no work would be able to happen without full consultation with the communities affected.
Councillor David Kennedy had called for an addition to the amendment to specifically state opposition to the impact on Ballyhale GAA alone. However his colleagues voted against this opting instead for the blanket cover of Councillor Doran’s wording.
