Consultants drawing up the most comprehensive flood defences ever built for the city will examine whether they should let South Park flood and place barriers at the road rather than at the sea.

In the only query submitted by any councillor following the most recent update on the Galway City Flood Relief Scheme – called Coirib go Cósta – Green Party Councillor Niall Murphy suggested exploring further options and pointed out that the barrier line at South Park was on the sea side of the pitches.

“I am surprised that you are not considering letting the pitches flood [temporarily] and protect at the road – I am not sure if that is a better solution, or practical, but if there is a reason that option was eliminated then I would be curious to know the reason,” he stated.

Ronan O’Reilly of Galway City Council said the consultants who won the contract, Arup, in consultation with the Office of Public Works (OPW), would put all viable potential options in the South Park area under the microscope as part of this major scheme.

“The feasibility of allowing the area to flood will form part of this process. The historical land-use in this area will be a significant factor in this process. In addition to this, the future plans for South Park that will be progressed by Galway City Council will also influence the optioneering in the area and we are liaising with the relevant departments re same.”

Cllr Murphy said he was concerned that preliminary information provided on the scheme indicated that “we will simply build walls to hold back the river without making any efforts to control the source.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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