Glass walls, silt islands and déjà vu: The 40-year odyssey of Arklow’s Flood Relief Scheme

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

For the people of Arklow, the events of the past two weeks are, unfortunately, nothing new.

The historic Wicklow town on the banks of the Avoca River has seen its fair share of flooding over the years, with each disaster putting a renewed focus on the long-awaited, almost mythical, Flood Relief Scheme.

Serious discussion and formal planning for a comprehensive flood relief scheme in Arklow can be traced back four decades to the late 1980’s, though it transitioned through several different legislative frameworks before reaching its current state.

While Arklow has a long historical vulnerability to the Avoca River, the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Charlie in 1986 is widely cited by An Bord Pleanála and the Office of Public Works (OPW) as the primary trigger for modern flood relief discussions in the town. This event caused widespread damage and made a permanent structural solution a matter of public debate and discussion.

A long road through planning and redesign

Official work on the scheme began back in 2002, following another major flood event that year. The Arklow Town Council (which eventually morphed into what Wicklow County Council is today) first appointed consulting engineers in the early 2000s to begin a feasibility report.

The project was initially proposed under the Arterial Drainage Acts, but its complexity later required a shift to a local authority-led planning process.

The move was a strategic decision made to overcome legal hurdles and integrate the flood defences with other major town projects.

The primary driver for the change was the Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant, which itself was dogged with delays and false starts for decades until it became operational in 2025.

By moving to a local authority led process, Wicklow County Council could then align the flood defences with the treatment plant project, which requires a massive interceptor sewer to be laid along the same quays.

A combined planning approach ensured that the quays wouldn't be dug up twice, saving time and public money.

The Arterial Drainage Acts were originally designed for rural land drainage and were increasingly seen as legally vulnerable in urban settings due to modern EU Environmental Directives (such as the Habitats and Birds Directives.)

The OPW found that projects progressed under the 1945 Act were often subject to lengthy legal challenges regarding Environmental Impact Assessments, resulting in prolonged delays.

The change meant the council could apply directly to An Bord Pleanála, which bypassed the standard local planning stage and provided a single, definitive decision-making forum.

During the 2010s, the scheme transitioned from early feasibility studies into a formal design and public consultation phase, following a decade of recurring significant floods in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, and January 2010. Additional flooding events in 2013 and 2015 underscored the project's urgency.

The notable flood event in January 2013 served as a catalyst for advancing the current scheme, as it reinforced the town's vulnerability to flooding.

At the time the government allocated €44.5 million for capital flood relief activities across the country. While Arklow was in the planning stages, these funds supported the nationwide Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management project, which identified the town as a priority area.

A major six-month closure of the Nineteen Arches Bridge occurred between 2013 and 2014. While this was primarily related to separate utility and remedial works, it remains a critical point of reference for councillors today as they negotiate the construction schedule for the current flood relief scheme.

By late 2013 and early 2014, consultants were finalising a feasibility report to assess viable flood management measures. These studies explored key elements now in the final design, such as: underpinning the bridge to prevent sediment buildup, dredging the Avoca River to improve channel capacity and identifying "pinch points" downstream of the bridge to improve water flow.

Aside from the major scheme, the OPW provided funding for Minor Flood Mitigation Works (projects under €500,000), which allowed the local authority to address immediate drainage and sealing issues.

A public information day was held in November 2016 at the Arklow Municipal District Offices to present the emerging preferred scheme to the community.

The scheme's design was adjusted during this period to address concerns about the historical Arklow Bridge, potential traffic disruption, and the preservation of the river's "pinch-point" at South Green.

The scheme was accelerated again under the National Development Plan 2018-2027, which dedicated €1 billion to national flood relief around the country. This led to the formal planning application being lodged in 2021, and the planning approval finally being granted in July 2022.

In 2023 the then junior minister with responsibility for the OPW, Patrick O’Donovan, attended the formal signing of contracts to progress the detailed design and construction for the scheme.

Speaking at the signing of the contracts, he said it was an important investment for the town.

“When complete, it will provide protection to some 637 residential properties and 141 commercial properties.

“As with all OPW flood relief projects, this scheme, when constructed, will be adaptable to continue to provide protection against today’s flood risk and the growing risk from climate change into the future.”

Aoife Flynn Kennedy, who was Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council at the time, expressed her delight at this significant milestone in the progression of the scheme.

‘’Without intervention, Arklow faces the continued onset of the range of issues that are associated with flooding including tangible and intangible flood damage to private and public property including infrastructure services, extensive community disruption, health and safety issues and development restrictions.”

Tommy Annesley, then Cathaoirleach of Arklow Municipal District, expressed his satisfaction at the scheme’s progress, noting that “the objective will be to protect the low-lying areas of the town that are impacted during flood events from the Avoca River and the sea and will greatly increase public confidence that their homes and businesses will be protected in the future even during severe weather”.

Political pressure and persistent local concerns

Wicklow councillors have broadly welcomed the scheme as a vital investment for protecting the town, though nearly four years since planning was approved, they have raised concerns regarding construction impact, bridge closures, and community consultation.

In September 2025, Cllr Peir Leonard emphasised that Uisce Éireann must work in conjunction with the flood relief team to ensure future town developments align for the benefit of Arklow.

During district meetings, Cllr Warren O'Toole has linked the town's development to broader infrastructure needs, including a new Community Centre, noting that any such projects must be feasible alongside the flood works.

Throughout 2025, councillors were briefed on significant milestones, including the completion of underwater archaeological investigations in the Avoca River, successful ground investigations and utility mapping at Riverwalk and South Quay, alongside the refinement of public realm and landscaping designs to include biodiversity features like roosting platforms.

Cllr Pat Kennedy has primarily focused on the immediate needs of residents and the maintenance of existing infrastructure while the major scheme progresses.

He has been a strong advocate for residents facing "daily realities" of flooding, frequently raising concerns that the town's current drainage systems and gullies cannot cope with heavy rainfall.

During recent severe flooding in January 2026 as a direct result of Storm Chandra, he helped coordinate community responses and noted that while the initial reaction was good, "there are always lessons to be learned" regarding local flood preparedness.

Storm Chandra renews calls for action

The recent devastation seen following Storm Chandra has further highlighted the urgent need for flood reliefs in the area.

The detailed design works, which includes elements such as flood walls, flood embankment design, hydrology and hydraulic modelling, archaeological investigations, utility diversions, environmental inputs and bridge remediation specifications, is ongoing and should be completed in the coming months.

The project team are currently finalising the design, specification, and tender documents. The project tender process will be completed by Q2 2026, with an estimated contractor appointment date of Q3 2026.

While early estimates for the project hovered around €28 million, the approved budget has expanded to approximately €57 million. The increase reflects the complexity of integrated design changes following an oral hearing in 2022, such as public realm enhancements (including viewing areas, pontoons) and specialised materials like glass flood walls.

The works are expected to take up to three and half years, with completion due towards the end of 2030.

That timeline has ruffled some feathers with Wicklow Wexford TD Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin expressing his frustration at the lack of urgency to address the situation.

“Micheál Martin’s recent comments that there ‘is no magic wand’ to deliver flood relief ring hollow,” he said. “That does nothing for the families in whose homes I've stood in who have watched water pour through their front doors.

“Businesses I visited on Arklow Quay front / walkway are operating under constant threat of flooding where the water is touching their back doors. For nearly a decade we have had flood risk management plans under the EU Floods Directive, which are designed to prepare for and mitigate flood risk.”

“Yet the implementation of these plans has been severely lacking in many areas due to bureaucracy and a failure to provide funding. In the meantime, the government must do everything it can, including exploring potential EU support to alleviate the suffering of those affected.”

Deputy Ó Súilleabháin has highlighted the need for householders to be compensated properly.

“The people I met are frustrated and distressed that their home insurers refuse to provide cover for flood relief. My Sinn Féin colleague and Wicklow TD John Brady had previously been pursuing legislation to force insurance companies to provide flood relief as happens in other European countries. We will continue to push for this.”

Deputy Ó Súilleabháin also believes mistakes from the past shouldn’t be repeated.

“The decision to build 'Riverfield' estate in its present location is highly questionable and such mistakes of building on flood plains should be avoided in future.

“Arklow’s planned flood barriers need to be installed along the quays without any further delays, and when we all can see large mounds of sand, gravel and silt protruding through the surface of the Avoca River just along the quay front it's obvious that the river needs to be dredged. This would deepen it and greatly help prevent further flooding.”

“Again, we need to see urgent action,” he added.