This article is from page 31 of the 2007-10-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 31 JPG
FLOODS which drove Clonlara resi- dents out of their homes last winter threaten to engulf their homes again this year – because work on plans to solve the issue will not begin until next February.
Last year, gardens were flooded, residents had to sandbag their homes and an elderly woman had to be tak- en out of her house as floodwaters crept up.
Clonlara residents couldn’t use their own bathrooms as septic tanks and drains were submerged by flood-
water.
The problems started when the SJ aT-NebeLO)OM LeU nl Ms cM Oy-VON qc BEKoI MAY (c1o) es of heavy rains and the ESB control- led sluice gates being opened to let water down the system.
Local councillors were told recent- ly that a solution is being worked on between the Office of Public Works (OPW), the ESB and Clare and Lim- erick County Councils.
But in a statement, TJ Sherlock of the OPW said that the area has been designated as “an area of special conservation so any works must be capable of being demonstrated to be
essential, not causing avoidable dam- age to the habitat and to minimise any damage that is unavoidable. This has made the process of devising a scheme of works extremely difficult and slow,” he said.
Nor does the OPW have the powers to take on a drainage scheme on the Shannon alone and it needs to carry out that work as an agent of the local authorities and the ESB.
Sherlock added that the works may also require planning permission and this would be dealt with through the local authorities.
“We will also be dependant on any
landowners affected by the proposed works either to allow us to gain ac- cess or deposit materials on their lands but since these works have been locally requested, we don’t an- ticipate that that will be a problem.”
He added that every effort will be made to advance the works as quick- ly as possible.
But local councillor Pascal Fitzger- ald, said that residents “are annoyed. We thought this work would start in September. Now we hear it’s going to be next February at least. If we get severe rain this winter, the same thing could happen again.”