Plans to protect Wexford village from further flooding will be presented at public meeting in late June

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Having endured one of the worst floods in living memory on Christmas Day 2021 and a number of smaller, yet no less devastating, floods in the intervening years, the people of Bridgetown in Co Wexford will be given an opportunity to hear, first-hand, how the local council intends to protect them from a repeat occurence this winter.

With €500,000 allocated for interim flood defence measures in the village, the senior engineer for the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD), of which Bridgetown is a part, has said the works will commence this summer and be completed by the end of the year.

Mindful of the traumas suffered by those affected by the floods in Bridgetown, Michael Brazzill said he and his team will hold a public meeting at the end of June where they will present their plans to the local community. At the monthly meeting of the RMD he offered a brief synopsis on works which will precede a larger-scale project which remains in the planning stage.

“The interim works have been approved and we’re discussing their impact with landowners in the area,” he said. “We will hold a public meeting in June to discuss our proposals.”

Although he was aware of the nature of the works, Cllr Jim Codd requested some details on the processes involved.

“I understand you’re going to raise the banks in the more vulnerable areas, but is that enough?” he said. “All those areas are vulnerable, it’s all low-lying land. How are we going to keep back the tide?”

“We’ll be installing embankments and retaining walls, and upgrading the culvert,” replied Mr Brazzill. “In addition we’ll be completing works around Kilmore Seafresh and purchasing a portable pump which we’ll have on standby at all times. We’re trying to move water from the west of Bridgetown and push it into the fields, that’s what we’re discussing with the landowners.”