€11M flood relief scheme for the Lower Morrell area put on hold thanks to judicial review

A judicial review will hold up the commencement of a flood relief project that was due to commence next month in a number of areas in the northeast of the county.

The Lower Morell Flood Relief Scheme, covering the Turnings, Ballyhays, Kill East, Barronrath, Sherlockstown, Tuckmilltown and Killeenmore area's of Straffan and Sallins, is presently on hold as a Judicial Review has been lodged in relation to the decision by An Bord Pleanala to grant planning permission for the Scheme

Kildare North Labour representative Emmet Stagg stated his disappointment at the fact that it has now been put on hold. The work on the €11 Million Flood Relief Scheme had been expected to commence this September, with initial work commencing at the downstream end of the project, and tenders had been sought for the haulage of embankment material in June. However all work on the project which is expected to take three years to complete is now on hold.

"The scheme involves the construction of 7,423 metres of new embankments, restoration of 1,842 metres of existing embankments, provision of 472 metres of new concrete flood walls, culvert alterations, and stream realignment works, and the project was to be completed by the OPW's own workforce as a directly managed scheme," stated Stagg.

He hopes that there might be some way of resolving the impasse rather than awaiting the High Court Case which could take a considerable amount of time and delay the scheme which represents the best solution to addressing the flooding problems for the Lower Morrell catchment area.