Dublin City Council has agreed to alter the concrete flood defence sea wall under construction in Clontarf in an attempt to improve relations with local residents.
Residents have objected to the appearance of the new poured concrete wall currently under construction in sections along the coast.
They have also objected to its height, which they say is considerably greater than they had expected.
The council has said it cannot change the height of the wall, which will be one metre tall over footpath level at its highest point, because of the conditions set down by the Office of Public Works to prevent flooding.
Surrounding landscape
However, it has agreed to alter the appearance of the wall so it blends more into the surrounding landscape and the existing old stone wall.
"We have taken on board the concerns of residents and we will change the final finish. A granite finish would probably be the most suitable in terms of a match, but we are open to suggestions," area manager with the council Dave Dinnigan said.
Details of the proposed amendments to the wall will be presented to city councillors at a meeting on Thursday.
The new wall is being built as part of a €5 million 2km cycle path from the Wooden Bridge to Causeway Road. It will leave motorists with “significantly restricted views” of Bull Island nature sanctuary and the coast, but the footpath and cycleway will be built up so the wall is never higher than one metre from the ground.
Local Labour councillor Jane Horgan Jones said she was pleased the council had taken on board the residents' concerns.
‘Legitimate concerns’
“Residents had raised legitimate concerns about the finish and the aesthetic of the wall, and I am pleased there is now a commitment to address these concerns and to ensure the wall doesn’t become a magnet for graffiti.”
However, she said it was important that sufficient flood protection was put in place. “We can’t ignore the flood risk that’s there. Even if that isn’t an immediate risk, we have to protect for the future.”
Independent councillor Damian O Farrell is seeking a full council meeting to be held next week to debate the issue publicly.
“There is a feeling locally which I agree with that a specific area of this amenity has been damaged, contrary to previous commitments,” he said.
While the council management was now promising to change the finish of the wall, the residents “deserve to have this matter debated in City Hall at the very least” he said.
