Flood embankment for Rathbraughan

IT’S being proposed to build a 415m long embankment in Rathbraughan to prevent further flooding in the area.

County Councillor Marie Casserly was told by the Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Kevin Boxer Moran that the proposed embankment would be 415m long and 1.7m high at its highest point in the floodplain.

The proposed plan includes storing flood water in major flood events to prevent flooding to 15 properties downstream, including the Woodlands Estate and the Mowlam Nursing Home.

The Woodlands Estate was extensively flooded last week, as reported in The Sligo Champion.

The proposed embankment comes from the OPW Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme carried out on 90 coastal areas identified as being at potentially significant risk of flooding.

The volume of fill needed to build the embankment at Rathbraughan is 2,500msq on a cross-section of 2m top width and 1 in 3 side slopes.

The option has been economically assessed and has a Benefit to Cost Ratio of 2.98.

Minister Moran is now in the process of getting approval from the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohue for proposals.

Residents of The Woodlands estate say they are constantly living in fear with the threat of floods increasing with more extreme events due to climate change.