Mark Crawford
To whom it’s concerns;
I contacted Louth County Council in March/April 2018 just after the beast from the east weather system to alert them to how high the sea level came in to the bank at our home at Seabank Castlebellingham. After just over 3 years works commenced the week of the 24th of May 2021. I’m contacting you because the works have not been completed to planning approval and offer no protection from rising sea levels. They contractor (Dancor) was hired to carry out the works basically lowered the top of the bank and placed large boulders at the top leaving soil at the base exposed at the base to an attack from the sea. The works carried out are not fit for purpose and I want them rectified as per the planning application: www.louthcoco.ie/en/louth_county_council/general_notices/notice-of-intention-to-carry-out-coastal-protection-works.pdf
There was supposed to be a 1m wide x 1m deep trench, 20m in length, along the toe of the existing shoreline embankment, to form a foundation for receiving the rock armour, • Placement of rows of rock armour (large 1-3 tonne natural stone boulders) within this excavation and for further 2m in height at a slope of approx. 30 degrees up the existing embankment to road level, and • Placement of a layer of geotextile membrane underneath the rock armour to mitigate against any migration of fines.
We have no trench along the toe of the embankment forming a foundation nor do we have a 30 degree slope of rocks up the embankment to road level. The original bank was basically just pushed back and lowered and rocks placed at the top and the base is just soil which will (correct me if I’m wrong here) give zero protection to an attack from large wave and rising sea levels. The whole point of us asking for the works to be carried out was to protect us from rising sea levels and storms in the future. I’d also like to state there are multiple large gaps between the rocks which are extremely dangerous to children and as this beach is used by families I suggested this is rectified urgently before someone gets badly injured but I’m being ignored and I’d like the help of the Dundalk democrat to escalate this clear waste of public money!