A BANTRY businesswoman is calling on the community to think creatively ahead of the proposed €6.7m flood relief scheme for the town.

The businesswoman, Carin O’Sullivan, suggested that the third public consultation day to outline the preferred flood relief scheme – which is scheduled to take place between 4pm until 8pm on Wednesday December 10th at the Maritime Hotel – would be the ideal opportunity to discuss what is possible for the town.

She cited The Waterfront in Cape Town, which attracts more visitors than any other destination in the country, as an example of what could be achieved, as well as the Sea Point Pavilion, which is also in South Africa, and has a seawater pool.

Representatives of the various companies and organisations currently working on Bantry’s flood relief design – which includes EGIS and JBA Consulting Engineers, the Office of Public Works, and Cork County Council – will be in attendance to answer people’s questions about the preferred plan.

Meanwhile, it has been suggested that Bantry’s successful development of an €8.5m Bantry marina could be expanded upon to include the area, known locally as the Slob, to incorporate additional parking, a coastal pool and a pedestrian bridge from the Maritime Hotel across the inner harbour to SuperValu.

Carin O’Sullivan’s proposal has drawn both favourable and critical comments online, some from people who are unaware of the difference between the proposed flood relief scheme and the proposed culvert works.

But the businesswoman reiterated: ‘Amenities such as boardwalks and sea swimming pools, like the one in Clontarf, turn waterfronts into community assets.’

She believes: ‘If the government is going to be spending millions in the area, it would be best not just to fix a problem but to add value so the town can prosper.’