Councillors rezone Barna land despite flood warning

Galway County Councillors have voted to rezone a portion of land within Barna village for town centre development – despite a warning from senior Council officials that it is prone to flooding.

However, this suggestion was flatly rejected by Cllr Noel Thomas (FF) who told a meeting of the Galway County Development Plan that mitigation measures can take place to ensure that this never happens.

In the end, a recommendation by the Council that the portion of land in question revert to open space and amenity was rejected by a majority of councillors and it is now zoned for town centre development or residential purposes.

It followed a contentious debate among councillors who voted in favour of the plot of land being developed by a 16-10 majority with eleven members abstaining.

Senior Planner Brendan Dunne told the meeting that flood risk assessments had been carried out on this site along with other reports and all of them showed it to be at risk.

He said that one of the reports suggested that even if there were houses built there, the floor levels would have to be risen and that this alone suggested that the site was at risk of flooding.

But Cllr Thomas responded by saying that while there is a stream adjacent to the site, it is so low compared to ground level that it is of no significance.

He added that there were culverts nearby that had been reduced in size by Galway County Council over the years, but they were still sufficient to release any heavy rainfall that would occur.

Barna’s Cllr Tomas O Curraoin (Ind) said that if the culverts were kept clean, then there was no chance of this plot of land flooding. “It is six feet higher than the stream running beside it,” he added.

This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see the April 29 edition of the Connacht Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.