Multi-million project to protect Wexford village from extreme weather events moves a step closer

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

A multi-million euro project to protect Bridgetown in Co Wexford from extreme weather events has moved a step closer following confirmation that a full report on the planned works is due by the end of this year. On Christmas Day 2021 Bridgetown was among the worst hit areas as the entire south Wexford region was devastated by floods, and, in the interim, the county council has been working to prevent a repeat occurrence.

At the September meeting of the Rosslare Municipal District, Councillor Jim Codd said those living in the village believed the issues could be traced to a nearby coastal location.

“The height of the tide in Cullenstown dictates what happens in Bridgetown and how vulnerable we are to flooding there,” he said. “We need a bigger plan to ensure we don’t see a repeat of the floods on Christmas Day, we need to install a lock there.”

While barriers have been provided for those living in the village, senior engineer Michael Brazzil accepted that many in the area continued to live in fear.

“Residents have concerns, of course they do, but our flood relief scheme will hopefully alleviate future flooding events in the village,” he said. “The report is due by the end of the year and we’ll apply for funding from the Office of Public Works (OPW) then, it’s expected to cost up to €3m.”

In addition to keeping the water out, Cllr Codd also questioned whether unwanted guests could be prevented from utilising public areas in Bridgetown.

“Can we erect bars to keep camper vans out of the car park at the children’s playground?” he asked. “A group of them arrived there recently and left the place in a terrible state.”

“We will have to put up barriers there if it happens again,” replied Mr Brazzil. “We’ll keep an eye on it, thankfully it doesn’t happen too often.”