Council to carry out emergency coastal defence works in Portrane

The works are required following serious coastal erosion caused by storm force winds and strong tidal surges during the summer and the recent removal and relocation of the seabees.

Engineering experts have recommended an extension of the existing rock armour defence by approximately 50metres along Quay Road to protect the area through the winter of 2020/21.

An examination of services and ground conditions around the toilets will be carried out as soon as the rock armour works are completed to establish if any additional protective works are required in that location.

Following the completion of rock armour, the demolition and removal of the existing toilets is planned. Temporary public toilets are expected to be installed during November.

In addition, Fingal County Council plans to relocate 70 seabees which were recently moved without authorisation causing damage to the dune system at Beach Lane. Following review by expert engineers the Council intends to replace these Seabees to their optimal position in the sea defence system to continue to reduce and delay coastal erosion. As an interim measure, 1km of Seabee’ concrete units were installed in an optimal position in two phases along Burrow Beach.  These Seabees were designed to reduce and delay coastal erosion and were put in place until a feasible and effective long-term solution is implemented.

The remedial works outlined above are to be undertaken under provisions of the Roads Act and will take approximately three weeks.

In August, storm force winds and strong tidal surges associated with Storm Ellen and Storm Francis undermined the ground around the disused toilets and foundation stone on which RMS Tayleur commemorative monument was located until it was moved some time ago to a safer location.

During the online public consultation sessions for the Coastal Flooding and Erosion Management Plan for Rogerstown Estuary last month, residents raised concern about the erosion issue at Quay Road.

Serious coastal erosion problems have emerged around the Rogerstown Estuary in recent years and Fingal County Council is working in collaboration with relevant state agencies, including the Office of Public Works (OPW) and The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), to examine the options available to address the complex problem of coastal flooding and erosion in Portrane and Rush.

Expert engineers have prepared a plan outlining the options for addressing Coastal Flood Risk Management in the Rogerstown Estuary in response to the significant concerns regarding coastal erosion and coastal flooding in the Burrow Peninsula, Portrane and some of the coastal areas around Rush.

ENDS

Note to Editor

In 2016, Fingal County Council established The Fingal Coastal Liaison Group in response to the ongoing concerns in relation to Coastal Erosion and Coastal Flooding in Fingal and to meet the need for a coherent structured response to address these concerns and improve communication between relevant stakeholders. The Group provides a forum for discussion of the approaches to planning for and dealing with the problems of Coastal Erosion and Flooding and is made up of County Councillors, Council Officials and community members from each of the affected areas in Fingal which are Rush (North Beach and South Beach), Portrane and Sutton.

Coastal flooding and erosion along the Rogerstown Estuary, which is an environmentally sensitive area and a Special Area of Conservation, is proving to be a difficult problem to resolve. The coastal system around the Rogerstown Estuary is intricate due to the large difference between high and low tides and the damage that waves, which approach from different angles, can cause. This threat has been increased significantly in recent years by the number of major storms that have coincided with high tide water levels in excess of four metres. 

Fingal County Council is working in collaboration with the relevant State agencies, including the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), on this issue with the specialist engineers from RPS.

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD, recently established the National Coastal Change Management Strategy Steering Group which has been tasked with considering the development of an integrated, whole of Government, coastal change strategy and is due to report to Government within six months of its establishment with initial findings and recommendations.

The Rogerstown Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management Plan can be viewed at https://consult.fingal.ie/en/consultation/coastal-defence-proposals-portrane-rush.