Lands at risk of flooding blocked from development
Dozens of acres of land across the county have been blocked from future development in the draft County Development Plan after they were found to overlap with newly established flood mapping.
For the first time ever local councillors had to factor in the maps identifying potential flood planes. They were drawn up following extensive surveys carried out as part of the Catchment-based Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme.
According to the draft CDP, the Office of the Planning Regulator advises dezoning land at flood risk in instances where surplus zoned land is identified.
Along with the lands in Cavan Town, sites in Ballyjamesduff, Belturbet, Kingscourt and Mullagh needed to be examined.
Further land identified as whiteland in Crossdoney, Crosskeys, Dowra, Killeshandra, Kilnaleck, Redhills, Shercock and Swanlinbar was also reviewed.
The mapping process tied together observed and SAR-derived hydrograph data, hydrological modelling, stochastic weather generation and extreme value analysis to generate predictive groundwater flood maps for over 400 qualifying sites.
It was the OPW’s position therefore, as the lead agency for flood risk management in Ireland, that lands not currently at risk of flooding may be vulnerable in the future due to climate change.
Chief Executive Tommy Ryan’s recommendation was that lands identified be either rezoned to ‘Amenity and Open Space’ or removed from the development boundary altogether due to flooding constraints.
‘Planning Authority is requested to overlay flood risk maps on the zoning maps for each settlement to provide greater transparency regarding flood risk and the need for site specific flood risk assessments,’ says the draft CDP.
The document further notes that the overlay of flood mapping on the Cavan Town Land Use Zoning Map, had “compromised” the potential for zoning lands as ‘Enterprise and Employment’.
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