Development potential in estuary plan

THE creation of a new development site about 1km south of the Clarecastle Tidal Barrage (lock gates) could pave the way for a multi-million euro public-private partnership for marine and leisure-related activities.

 

That’s according to Clare renewable energy expert, Fergus Merriman, who believes the new draft Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) for the Shannon Estuary can fast-track and unlock the huge development potential of the area.

The chartered building surveyor has devised an innovative proposal, which provides a new solution for flooding in Ennis, significantly reduces the amount of land required for the existing flood plain and sets up the prospect of generating an income for a public body like Clare County Council through hydroelectricity.

With just two of the nine development sites in SIFP located in Clare, Mr Merriman believes additional sites should be examined in the strategy, particularly the Clarecastle site.

The plan starts with relocating the barrage just downstream of Roche, which could both generate electricity and create a holding lake. The lake would create a tourism opportunity in a marina, with further potential for leisure industry and release land for development.

A hotel and other developments could be created on the island near Roche, once it is built up using material from dredging.
Reversible turbines would be installed so that energy generated could also be used to pump excess flood water out of the basin during periods of high rainfall and a spring tide, thereby ensuring the safety of Ennis and its environs from flooding.
The reversal of energy means the cost of flood relief might be transposed into profit. He estimates the turbines would generate 350 kilowatts of electricity per hour, enough to power Clarecastle village.

The basin could be accessed by shipping and would be retained at a lower level using the ‘half-tide’ principle.
Ease of access from Shannon would benefit potential yacht owners and wider development and provide further resilience to the airport.
While different agencies may express some environmental concerns, Mr Merriman believes SIFP is the best vehicle not only to address these but to enhance the overall environment.

The future real risk to Ennis of sea levels rising due to climate change could also, to some extent, be future-proofed by adequate design of the system.
“There are also a number of other positive spin-offs from such strategy, including the regeneration of Clarecastle and Ennis, protection of the existing lower Fergus floodplain, opening up of lands for some future development and further exciting possibilities. The key to overcoming the cross-agency inertia is to have the Clarecastle site included in the Estuary Strategy because it can tick all the strategy boxes for sustainability, industry, renewable energy, tourism, port facilities and transport hub,” he said.

Mr Merriman explained the holding lake would be big enough to have adequate storage to cope with the 90m3 per second flow into the existing Clarecastle barrage, as outlined in a flood report completed by a NUIG professor in 2004. It would be three times bigger than what is required to deal with flood water.

His proposal is supported by Councillor Johnny Flynn, who tabled a motion at Ennis Town Council requesting the relocation of the Clarecastle Barrage in December 2009 but didn’t get the required support.

A report prepared by J Barry and Partners White Young Green for Ennis Town Council in October 2007 looked at four options concerning flood protection for Ennis. It recommended the extending barrage and further channel regrading works from 150m upstream to 260m downstream of the N18 Clarecastle Bridge at a cost of €14.9 million. This would result in the freeing up of an extra 140 hectares for development in the locality.

However, Councillor Flynn believes another option, Option Four, which involves the construction of a new tidal barrage 4.2km downstream from the existing location, at a cost of €32.6m, was not adequately considered by the consultants.

The consultants conceded it would result in a reduction of the exclusion area by an extra 308 hectares and the cost of the additional development area was just slightly lower at €105,844, compared with €106,429 for the previous option.

Councillor Flynn estimates a new tidal barrage could be built for €22m if it is located about 1km from the existing location and stressed a lot of the deductions made by the consultants have to be revised, following the November 2009 flooding in Ennis.

He argues that Mr Merriman’s proposal should be approved as it would create a huge landbank, which would be suitable for industrial development on the outskirts of Ennis, as it would remove the existing obstacle of flood risk.