Planning permission’s been lodged for a flood relief scheme in Graignamanagh and Tinnahinch.
Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran’s confirmed that Kilkenny County Council has forwarded its submission to An Coimisiún Pleanála for consent following OPW approval.
He says; “I wish to acknowledge the support from the community in Graignamanagh and Tinnahinch that was valuable to inform the design of a scheme for the area, which will protect some 84 properties, 53 commercial and 31 residential.”
The area was badly hit by flood events in late 2015 and early 2016 and in 2020, following the Government’s introduction of Flood Risk Management Plans, the local authority with OPW funding appointed Byrne Looby (now Ayesa) engineering and environmental consultants to design a flood relief scheme for the border area.
The Preferred Option identified includes raised defences on the River Barrow along with raised defences and an upstream storage area on the River Duiske to prevent flooding. Where possible, new flood defence walls will replace existing walls throughout the scheme. These defences will protect properties from the 1% AEP (100 year) fluvial flood event.
Minister Moran says Government is investing some €113m in flood relief schemes completed and underway across counties Kilkenny and Carlow. The Ballyhale Flood Relief Scheme has received planning consent and is at Stage 3 Detailed Design and Tender for Construction. Minor works funding was approved in Tinnahinch to raise the level of a wall downstream of Graignamanagh Bridge, and to provide demountable flood gate to isolate an area from flooding from Mill Race, and to provide demountable flood gates to each of the properties.
The cost of these schemes will be met from the Government’s commitment to managing Ireland’s flood risk through the financial provisions for flood relief measures set out in the National Development Plan. The design of this and all flood relief schemes is future proofed and is adaptable to meet the increasing flood risk from climate change.
In addition to these major schemes, the OPW has approved approximately €1.4m. to Kilkenny County Council under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme for localised flood relief works across 18 other locations in the county.
Carlow Kilkenny Fianna Fáil TD Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere, who’s from the Graignamanagh / Tinnahinch area, reacted to the update for KCLR News;
