Contract to begin works on flood defences in Dundalk and Blackrock set to be awarded - Talk of the Town

A contract is set to be awarded shortly to begin works on flood defences in the Dundalk/Blackrock South area.

The tender process for similar works in Carlingford/Greenore is also expected to begin soon, according to an update from the Officer of Public Works to local TD Fergus O’Dowd.

Following media reports last week that 11,248 properties in Louth could be impacted by coastal flooding as a result of climate changes by 2050, Deputy O’Dowd contacted the Minister with Responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Kevin Boxer Moran, and outlined his concerns.

Whilst Louth has received considerable funding announcements as part of the CFRAM program, the Fine Gael TD said he was concerned about the timescale on the implementation plans.

As such he requested a full update on the matter.

In a reply to Deputy O’Dowd, the OPW said: “The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme involved detailed engineering analysis and assessment, supported by extensive public consultation, for 300 identified communities throughout Ireland, including 90 coastal areas, which in 2012 were considered most likely to be impacted by future coastal and fluvial flooding. The CFRAM Programme studied 80% of properties at risk from the primary cause of flooding in communities that house almost two thirds of the population.

“The key outputs of the CFRAM Programme are over 40,000 Flood Maps showing the flood risk for the 300 communities, that support planning decisions and emergency response, and Flood Risk Management Plans, (FRMP’s), one for each River Basin in the country. The FRMP’S contain proposed flood relief measures – informed by costs, benefits and environmental factors – to address the flood risk in each community and nationwide. As portions of County Louth are located in two River Basins, Louth is included in both the Neagh Bann and Eastern (Boyne) FRMP’s.
Louth County Council, working with the OPW, has agreed to be the Lead Authority in the delivery of flood relief schemes at Dundalk / Blackrock South, Drogheda, Carlingford / Greenore, Baltray and Ardee, all of which are in the first tranche of projects to be progressed.

• The proposed flood relief scheme at Dundalk / Blackrock South, Co. Louth, for which the CFRAM Programme estimated a total preliminary cost of €40.5 million, would involve a series of hard defences, including flood embankments and walls, rock armour coastal protection, demountable barriers, road raising, a sluice gate and tanking of two properties, protecting 1,880 properties when completed.
• The proposed flood relief scheme at Drogheda, Co. Louth, for which the CFRAM Programme estimated a total preliminary cost of €16.8 million, would involve construction of a series of hard defences (flood embankments and walls) along the River Boyne and improvement of conveyance, hard defences and a flow diversion channel on various tributaries, protecting 381 properties when completed.
• The proposed flood relief scheme at Carlingford and Greenore, Co. Louth, for which the CFRAM Programme estimated a total preliminary cost of €23.4 million would involve construction of a series of hard defences (flood embankments and walls) and two pumping stations, protecting 409 properties when completed.
• The proposed flood relief scheme at Ardee, Co. Louth for which the CFRAM Programme estimated a total preliminary cost of €840,000 will also be progressed directly by Louth County Council with full funding from the OPW. The work proposed will involve the construction of a series of hard defences (embankments and walls) protecting 7 properties when completed.
• There is one proposed scheme at Baltray, Co. Louth initially not included in the first tranche of implementation. The scheme, at a projected cost estimate of approximately €1.9 million, would involve the construction of a series of hard defences (embankments and walls) protecting 73 properties when completed. However, the countywide steering group comprising OPW and local authority representatives, has decided to progress this project simultaneously with Drogheda.

“Please note that the FRMP’s are high level documents containing proposed flood relief measures which will require further assessment and development through more detailed design as the Louth Flood Relief Schemes progresses.

“When developing detailed Flood Risk Management options for these Projects, the adaptability of the measures to climate change will also be assessed; for example, in a Project where a significant increase in risk is shown under the future scenarios, options with the best climate change adaptability are more important, whereas climate change adaptability in Projects with low-sensitivity may not be as critical. The appointed Design Teams will produce the detailed design of the options in areas of high sensitivity and will assess whether it is appropriate for the option to be designed to handle climate change from the start of the design process, or whether it is designed to be adaptable later, e.g. building extra capacity into the foundations of a wall to allow it to be increased in the future, or to leave undeveloped areas for flood storage to be added in the future.

“OPW has established Engineering Consultancy Framework Agreements, which is available to Louth County Council to use to procure services to progress the design, development and planning of each project and which will help to speed up the process to construction. In addition, the Council has been provided with additional staffing resources by OPW to assist in the implementation of these schemes.
The Steering Group for flood relief schemes in County Louth has proposed the following prioritisation for progression of first tranche projects for County Louth:

1. Dundalk/Blackrock South and Ardee – to be progressed simultaneously. The tender for Engineering Consultancy Services for Dundalk / Blackrock South and Ardee was advertised on 16 October 2019, with five tenders received on 24 January 2020. The tender evaluation process has recently been completed and it is expected that the contract will be awarded in the very near future.
2. Drogheda and Baltray – to be progressed simultaneously. The consultants brief for Drogheda and Baltray scheme is in the final stages of being finalised and is hoped to be advertised to the framework in the coming months.
3. Carlingford/Greenore. Progress on the Carlingford / Greenore consultants brief will begin following completion of the Drogheda / Baltray brief.

Current Position:
“The Steering Group last met on 3 April 2020 where the tender evaluation for the appointment of consultants for Dundalk/Blackrock South & Ardee were formally signed off. The next stage is the formal approval and award of this contract and it is expected that this will be completed shortly. Louth County Council is expected to tender for Environmental and Design Consultants for the Drogheda and Baltray Flood Relief Schemes in the coming months. Work will commence on tender documentation for engineering consultants to progress the Carlingford / Greenore schemes shortly thereafter.

“It is important to note that the measures set out in the flood risk management plans are not definitive and final, and that as part of the project-level assessment required to prepare the measure for planning/ Public Exhibition, more detailed technical and environmental assessments are required at a local level and further public and stakeholder consultation will be undertaken. As such, there is further scope for the community’s views to influence the measures that are progressed to implementation.

“Once consultants are appointed to progress each scheme, consultation with statutory and non-statutory bodies, as well as the general public, will take place at the appropriate stages to ensure that all parties have the opportunity to input into the development of the proposals within the scheme.