CLONMEL, one of Ireland's frequently flooded towns, was offered hope of a drier future yesterday with the unveiling of proposals for the State's biggest flood relief scheme to date.
The scheme is designed to protect the town against all but the most severe floods, which can be expected to occur once every 50 years.
If there are no objections to the scheme, which goes on public display today, work is expected to commence in eight to 10 months and will take two years to complete.
The measures planned, along a 5.5 km stretch of the river Suir, include raising the height of the river walls in the town centre, construction of new embankments and widening and deepening of the channel.
An Environmental Impact Study carried out for the Office of Public Works, responsible for the scheme, said it would cause significant changes to the appearance of the town and the river.
Existing mature vegetation would be removed and the proposed replacement of two old bridges in the Suir Island area would cause a loss of historical and visual amenities. But it said the main impact on people would be a significant reduction in exposure to flooding.
The cost of the project has yet to be determined but the Minister of State in charge of the OPW, Mr Martin Cullen, said it is likely to exceed the £30 million being spent on the Kilkenny flood relief scheme, the biggest such project to date.
Announcing details of the project in Clonmel, Mr Cullen said recurring flooding had had a devastating impact on Tipperary South, particularly Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir. Both had been on the Government's priority list for relief projects since major flooding events in 1996. A scheme in Carrick-on-Suir is nearing completion.
The scheme going on display from today is the result of five years of consultations between the design consultants, E.G. Pettit, the OPW, Tipperary South County Council and Clonmel Corporation.
Initially it was proposed to have a scheme to protect the town against all floods except those likely to occur once in a century, but it was agreed last year that a "one in fifty-year level of protection" was more appropriate.
It will be on display until Friday, January 11th, at three locations: the Town Hall and public library in Clonmel and the offices of Waterford County Council in Dungarvan.
