Assessment ahead of Mayo river bank cleaning

AN environmental assessment is to be conducted for bank cleaning on rivers next year.

The news was delivered to Louisburgh Councillor Chris Maxwell after he raised the issue of flooding in the Cregganbawn area in west Mayo, which, he said, is all down to overgrown trees and bushes in the rivers.

Slatted sheds were filled, livestock were cut off and under threat as waters rose, and people couldn't get or out of their homes during the most recent episode. And the situation is only getting worse with every year that passes as trees encroach more, he told a Westport-Belmullet Municipal District meeting.

Senior engineer Heather Gibbons said there was a commitment to carry out environmental assessments on the rivers for bank cleaning next year.

There will be no machines in the rivers, she added.

The council is governed by EU legislation, and to clean the side banks they had to have environmental assessment, she explained.