ORANMORE DRAINAGE WORKS NEAR COMPLETION

Date Published: 06-Sep-2012

Drainage works being carried out at Frenchfort in Oranmore are due for completion in the coming weeks.

The OPW is undertaking the work on behalf of Galway County Council, while ensuring all environmental legislation is fully recognised in the designated area.

The work is being carried out to ensure the flooding problems experienced in 2009 do not reoccur.

As aspects of the work involve a designated area, it constituted a notifiable action under the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011.

During the course of the project, concerns have been raised by local Cllr Jim Cuddy that machinery required to complete parts of the work was being blocked on the SAC site due to an order from the NPWS.

The NPWS says no such order has been made and that the application for consent proposed to remove vegetation by hand, using slash hooks and rakes.

All works in the special area of conservation are now complete and the OPW says that the only machinery required will be an excavator to clean the railway embankment dyke which is located outside of the designation, and to tidy the lands upstream.

The road crossing has now been replaced and OPW field staff are reinstating stone walls as part of the finish.

The target timeline for completion is two weeks time, however this is dependant on weather conditions given the nature of the grounds.