Flood-damaged roads are getting priority

AT a recent meeting of the Bandon Kinsale Municipal District, the issue of the duty of landowners to ensure surface water from their properties doesn’t flow onto public roads, was raised by several councillors.

During an update on roadworks to councillors, senior executive engineer Charlie McCarthy said more road repairs are needed than the funding made available for them, and that the Council has serious issues with the cleaning of dykes.

Cllr Gillian Coughlan (FF) said the district needs more staff cleaning drains and called for more maintenance staff on the ground in Bandon.

‘Do landowners know it’s their duty to clear the dykes on their land?’ asked Cllr Coughlan. ‘Cork County Council should look at a scheme to inform people of their responsibilities.’

Cllr Kevin Murphy (FG) said that landowners have been written to about their duties in relation to hedgecutting, as well as drainage.

‘They will be told to get their act in order, but it may cause trouble to find out who is the property owner,’ said Cllr Murphy.

Council executive engineer for Kinsale, Brendan Fehily, said that under Section 70 of the 1993 Roads Act, landowners must make all reasonable effort to stop water going onto a public road from their land, but pointed out that the law isn’t as strong backing the Council on this.

Cllr Tim Lombard (FG) said that the problem of drainage at Forest Road near Carrigaline had to be looked at, and there were serious problems with dykes along that road.

Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind) also pointed out that Blackhill Road was ‘in a dire state.’

‘We’re not getting around to the level of surface dressing that we need done,’ said Cllr Coleman.

Charlie McCarthy said that if a particular road changes drastically, then they would look at it, but that flood-damaged roads will have to be prioritised.

Councillors also expressed their concern about the lack of Council staff tackling drainage issues on roads in the district. ‘We do put a huge emphasis on drainage and if we can’t drain a road properly, we won’t do it,’ said Mr McCarthy.

‘You had people who knew the roads in the area but that resource is now gone and it would be great to get it back,’ he added.

‘We made a submission for flood damaged roads and we wouldn’t have overlapped those roads with the current roads programme. We will look at the 2017 programme harder, but we don’t know what winter will bring.