Protecting a town against 1-in-100-year flood events

Raphoe Flood Relief Scheme

The Office of Public Works (OPW), in conjunction with Donegal County Council, set out to implement a flood relief scheme (FRS) for the town of Raphoe. Their brief was that the scheme should be socially, environmentally, and economically acceptable to protect the people and properties of the town against the effects of the one percent Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP), or 1-in-100-year, flood event. OPW appointed our team as environmental consultants for this project.

As part of the scheme development process, we carried detailed ecological surveys including habitat, bird, mammal, invasive alien species (IAS) and aquatic ecology surveys. Working closely with OPW, the Council, and the engineering consultant, we prepared the statutory environmental reports required to support the planning consent for the scheme. These included various appropriate assessment (AA) screening reports and screening, scoping, and environmental impact assessment report (EIAR). The reports were required so OPW could seek planning consent for the scheme from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) for confirmation under the Arterial Drainage Acts, 1945 and 1995.

The FRS is currently awaiting the award of planning consent to proceed.