New aesthetically-pleasing flood defences are to be designed for Clontarf, two years after residents rejected a €4 million flood barrier.
Dublin City Council secured planning permission from An Bord Pleanála in 2008 to build flood defences up to 2.75m involving earthen embankments and walls.
Following objections from local residents, the council offered to reduce the height of the protective embankment to 2.17m, the lowest height permitted by An Bord Pleanála.
However, despite having been hit by an “extreme tidal event” in February 2002 and a less severe one in October 2004, both of which caused damage to homes and businesses, residents opposed this reduced barrier.
The council said it received more than 2,000 submissions which had been “virtually wholly opposed” to the project going ahead even in its modified form.
Locals had described the defences as a “cheap and nasty solution” and an “eyesore” .
The council appointed a “conciliator” to resolve issues between it and the residents. Following meetings the council now proposes a “dual flood defence” comprising the existing sea wall and a secondary defence as close as possible to Clontarf Road.
In general the sea wall will be left as it is but a new section will be constructed at “minimum health and safety levels” of 1.1m at the Alfie Byrne Road end of the promenade.
A second wall with flood gates as near as possible to Clontarf roadway will be installed “for as much of the promenade as it would be required”.
The promenade will be “sacrificed to flood waters in extreme events” and its length and grass surface will be used to contain and absorb flood waters.
The car parks and all of the flood gates will be closed following warnings of very high tides; which are normally issued two days in advance.
The council plans to engage consultants to test the viability of the scheme and carry out preliminary designs.
Local Fine Gael councillor Naoise Ó Muirí said the new proposals must have public support and "stack up economically" to proceed.
“With all the damage done around the country by recent storms there will be huge pressure on flood-protection capital nationally; we may only get one shot at this so we need to move quickly on it.”
