Flood relief plans unveiled in Portarlington

The preferred option for the Portarlington Flood Relief Scheme was unveiled at Portarlington  Library last Wednesday. 

The €15 million scheme aims to protect a total of 72 properties, 64 homes and eight commercial properties, in the town. Flooding levels from 2017 were used to calibrate the planned works.  

The third round of consultation proved timely, as levels on the River Barrow were so high some paths in the People’s Park were impassable. 

The proposed works consist mainly of walls and embankments but also includes the creation of a wetland. The walls and embankments have an average height of 1.6 metres and a total length of 3.3kms.

The  planned works are: Upstream of the Barrow Bridge: embankments and walls on the right bank of the River Barrow. Wall on the left bank. 

Barrow Bridge to Spa Street: Embankment on the left bank and a wall on the right bank of the River Barrow.

Downstream of Spa Bridge: Embankments and walls situated on the right bank directly downstream of Spa Bridge.

Portarlington Fire Station:  Embankments and walls on the right bank protecting the Portarlington Fire Station and the properties at Link Road.

Bracklone Business Centre: Embankment along the southern end of the Bracklone Business Centre and a new culvert along the existing crossing Bracklone Business Centre.

Blackstick Drain: Creation of a formalised floodplain to the south of the Blackstick Drain. Diversion of 500 m length of the existing drain through the proposed floodplain. Bridge removal and replacement to accommodate existing access. Embankments on the south of Blackstick Drain floodplain. Wall and embankment along Botley Lane Industrial Estate. Removal and replacement of existing culvert crossing Botley Lane 

Bog Road: Removal and replacement of existing culvert crossing Bog Road.

Marian Hill Road: Removal and replacement of existing culvert crossing Marian Hill Road.

Members of the project teams from Laois County Council,  Nicolas O’Dwyer, Binnies and the Office of Public Works presented the plans which could be in place by 2029.  The proposals were generally welcomed by local residents who came to view the plans. 

Secretary of Portarlington Angling Club, Eddie Ryan said:  “It’s really, really important. I don’t know is there as much flooding now as there used to be when I was a child. My grandparents lived in Spa Street and they, and a lot of the residents in Spa Street, used to be flooded all of the time. We used to have to go down and bail out the water,” he recalled.  

“There was an undertaker on the street and we used to have to go down and give him  a hand to lift up the coffins up off the ground and stop them from floating away. Lately now it hasn’t flooded much. The County Council have done some good work. They have put in some non return valves on the street and that has helped a lot,” said Mr Ryan.  

“This is really great work and it has to be commended and they are relying on the likes of myself and people who have lived here all their lives,” he said. 

“I have just pointed out a sewer overflow to them that they knew nothing about, so that will have to be part of their considerations. It’s great that they are getting the local knowledge,” said Mr Ryan.  

“They will do the technical end of it and they are brilliant at all that, but they need the locals and they need the locals to support it and point out where the dangers are so they can address it, especially with all the climate crisis that is going on.” 

“There has been so much development in the town from when I was a child. A lot of the places we would have thought were compromised ground, or not great ground for building houses on, a lot of them have been built on. A lot of the natural areas that used to hold water are all gone now because it is all concrete, especially out the old Edenderry Road,” he said. 

Pictured Above: Eddie Ryan examining the plans at Portarlington Library

Secretary of Portarlington Tidy Towns, Caroline Whitelagg, said: “I think it is very positive. It is long overdue. I think there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment because the roads are flooding at the moment and people are worried about insurance and there is more houses being built in Portarlington which is going to impact on the floodplain in general across Portarlington,” she said.

“On the Offaly side we are  looking at a wetland area being developed which is positive, actually bringing something like that into the realm of the town,” she noted.  

She was delighted that the works were taking place in both Offaly and Laois for the benefit of the town.  “We see Portarlington as a town, not Portarlington in Laois or Portarlington in Offaly, so for us it is positive. The OPW are bringing both councils together. 

At the moment if you go down to the park all the pathways are flooded. You can’t actually walk down by the river in parts because they are completely flooded and that happens all of the time,” Ms Whitelagg added.  

Portarlington resident PJ Lawlor was  impressed  but believes there will be objections to the planned works.  He said there has been a lack of maintenance on the river and any attempts at work on the river result in objections. 

“I think some of the ideas are brilliant here, especially in Botley Lane, where you have a big drain. Once the river is in flood like it is this evening the water can’t go anywhere, so it floods  everywhere. Their scheme there is brilliant to divert it to create a wetland,” he said.  

“It is alright for me living in Bracklone Street, I don’t think it will ever be flooded. If you are living in Spa Street, French Church Street, you’re in serious trouble if we are going to keep getting this sort of rain,” said Mr Lawlor. 

The Portarlington scheme is one of three major flood relief plans being finalised in Laois. The defences for Mountmellick, Clonalsee and Portarlington are all hoped to go to planning next year.    

The proposals were generally welcomed by local residents who came to view the plans in Portarlington. Many had witnessed flooding in the town in the past.