Sandymount flood protections delayed until 2032

Flood defences, recommended 20 years ago to protect more than 1,000 homes in Sandymount, Dublin, are unlikely be in place before 2032, according to a new assessment from Dublin City Council.

Construction of the defences on Sandymount promenade had been due to start last year. However, following consultation with the Office of Public Works (OPW) the council is to redesign the scheme to take into account “increased wave heights” and “sea level rises”. The works are now not expected to begin before 2030.

The council has been planning a coastal flood protection project since an extreme tidal flood hit the capital in February 2002. In 2009 it announced flood defences would be incorporated into the Sutton to Sandycove (S2S) cycleway. While the project has been developed on the north side of Dublin Bay, no progress has been made in Sandymount.

The local authority decided in 2016 to go ahead with protections independently of the cycle plan in two phases along the coast from Seán Moore Park to the Merrion Gates. Work was due to start on the first phase at the northern end of Strand Road in 2017, but did not go ahead. Two years ago the council said this project was scheduled to begin by the end of last year.

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Local councillors were on Tuesday told the council will now hire consultants to reassess the scheme. “Following seven meetings with the OPW on this extremely complex project, contract documents have been agreed for the procurement of a consultant to analyse flood alleviation measures for the Sandymount coastline from Merrion gates to Sean Moore Park,” the report to councillors said.

“Due to existing sea level rise and increased wave heights particularly over the last 20 years, previous surveys and studies have to be revisited to hopefully provide a holistic cost beneficial option. Climate change adaptation is another requirement of the brief.”

The council said it hoped to appoint consultants to carry out these assessments by the end of March. “Due to massive environmental sensitivities and planning requirements it is estimated that it will take two years to carry out surveys, build tidal and wave models, estimate potential damages and produce a preferred flood defence option,” it added.

A further six months would be required to produce a planning application for An Bord Pleanála, with a decision expected to take up to three years.

“If the application is successful and funding is available,” the council said, “the procurement of a contractor and possibly another consultant for the construction phase will probably take a further year. Construction of the scheme is likely to take two years. During all of this the project will of course liaise with other projects in the area such as the Sandymount Greenway.”

Labour councillor Dermot Lacey said it was “absurd” and shameful” that Sandymount residents would remain without flood protection for such an extended period. “I am genuinely shocked by this delay. The notion that people, whose homes are flooding, or are at risk of flooding, and can’t get flood insurance, are being told they would have to wait another eight years or more is shameful.”

He said the flood scheme should not require the input of multiple State agencies and consultants. “This highlights the disaster that is the absurd decision-making process of the State apparatus. This is surely something that can be done within the expertise of the city council. We are not asking for something to be done a bit quicker, we are asking to catch up on 20 years of non-action.”