‘A sad day’ – new fears Kilkenny river project could be delayed for up to five years
King's River in Callan needs silt mounds removed
Fears that planned works in the King’s River in Callan could be delayed for another ‘five years’ have been voiced by local councillors.
There was dismay amongst the local representatives when it was announced, at the recent meeting of Callan Thomastown municipal district councillors, that before the proposed work goes ahead a Natura Impact Statement must be completed, and then the project must go through the planning process.
The work was scheduled to take place last year, but was delayed due to weather conditions and further consultation with Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).
Chairman of the municipal district, and Callan-based councillor, Joe Lyons, raised the project regularly over the past 12 months and had hoped it would go ahead this year. This is now unlikely.
At the municipal district meeting, Area Engineer Declan Murphy explained that a draft plan for work has now been agreed with IFI, regarding the silt mound remediation options proposed by Tetra Tech Consulting Engineers, however the Natura Impact Statement must be carried out and then the planning process. This will not be completed before the end of the in-river work window allowed by wildlife bodies.
There will be disturbance work in the river, Mr Murphy said, and they are governed by the statutory in this case.
“Not everybody will be happy,” he predicted.
Cllr Lyons said it was “a sad day or a bad day” and the news was “such a pity after three years of ongoing work.”
Referring to the statutory bodies, Cllr Lyons said “them boys knew last year what was ahead and this could have been in place.”
He said the planning process will take another year and it’s already three years since funding for the project was allocated. “I didn’t think anything would stop it this year,” he said.
Addressing the timeline for the project now, Mr Murphy said the planning application will have to go to An Coimisiún Pleanála and that could take a year.
He said the Natura Impact Statement would not take long to complete.
Cllr Stephanie Doheny, who said she was very disappointed, asked if it could take as long as two years while her colleague, Cllr Joe Sheridan, predicted the planning process could delay the project for up to five years.
“Surely to god we’ll get it done in 12 months,” Cllr Lyons said, adding that the draft plans looked very good.
Mr Murphy stressed the plans are only drafts at this stage.
He reminded councillors that if they were to go into the river today to remove the silt mounds, they would come back, as is happening under the eyes of the bridge that were cleared just last summer. The silt is up nearly two feet and could be ‘back to square one’ in another two to three years.
This plan, when executed, will benefit the river for years to come, Mr Murphy said.
Cllr Lyons said the pressure will have to be kept on.
Cllr Sheridan said it was “a thundering disgrace” that trees were being allowed to fall into and stay in the river, causing silt to build up.
The King’s River had been a working river in the past, he pointed out, with seven mills between Callan and Ennisnag. “You can’t even walk the bank now, it’s so bad,” he said.
“I think it will be a miracle if we get the go-ahead in 12 months. Some Natura Impact Statements take time and then if we go to planning it could take five years.”