BANTRY’S Mill Culvert upgrade scheme is expected to begin construction by quarter two, 2026 following the recommendation from Cork County Council’s chief executive that councillors approve the Part 8 planning application for the scheme.
BY DAVID FORSYTHE
The chief executive’s report was presented to councillors at the recent meeting of the West Cork Municipal District.
The proposed scheme will include the reconstruction of the Mill River culvert along Bridge Street and New Street and into Wolfe Tone Square and connections to the existing Mill River Culvert.
The works will also connect to existing drainage services at William Street and Main Street.
The new culvert will be bigger and more hydraulically efficient than the existing culvert, and there will be some additional capacity within the culvert during flood events, but the main objective is to replace a deteriorating structure.
The existing culvert from the library to Wolfe Tone Square is predominantly an old stone arch culvert system.
The works are not part of the Bantry flood relief scheme but are designed to be ‘complementary’ to those works.
Senior engineer Liam Ahearn told the meeting that the ‘really intrusive’ works would be along Main Street and Bridge Street while the works required in Wolfe Tone Square would be ‘minimal.’
He told councillors that nine submissions had been received in response to the planning application, three of which were from members of the public regarding the potential for public realm improvements to be carried out as part of the scheme.
Mr Ahearn said that presently the scope of the project was to really leave the road ‘as is’ when the works were completed and any public realm enhancements would be a matter for the council. He said that from an engineering point of view it was a ‘matter of urgency’ that the culvert be upgraded.
Further submissions were received from the Environmental Protection Agency, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Uisce Éireann and An Post.
These submissions were of the type expected when such major works are carried out.
A submission from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage requested that an Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment be carried out because of the age and heritage significance of the existing stone arch culvert and also advised that any elements of the structure that can be saved, should be as part of the works.
Mr Ahearn said that this was the most detailed submission received and the requirement does have the potential to add further costs and possibly time delays to the project.
Mr Ahearn said that the next stage of the process was for the report to be approved at full council after which tenders could be expected by the end of February.
He said it was hoped to have the Part 8 process completed by the end of March at which point consultants would be engaged to complete the detailed design of the scheme by the end of the year. He said it was anticipated that the scheme would go to construction in quarter two, 2026.
The news was broadly welcomed by local councillors.
Bantry-based Danny Collins (II) said: ‘It will cause a lot to disruption but it has to be done. Thank God there were no negative submissions.’
Caroline Cronin (FG) said: ‘I’m very happy to see so much work being carried outing to have things moving. Thanks to the team who are working tirelessly to get this underway for quarter two in 2026.’
Patrick Gerard Murphy (FF) added: ‘There is an opportunity to do more here. We need a bit of blue-sky thinking. There is now a golden opportunity to get some public realm works done as well, it’s the obvious time to do it.’
