A proposed greenway from Blackpool highlights divisions over flood relief scheme

Blackpool Traders Group is promoting a greenway which would run on top of a culverted section of the River Bride in Blackpool. The plan hinges on the OPW's stalled flood relief scheme.

The River Bride as it flows through Blackpool. Image via Chris Moody.

An environmental campaigner who successfully challenged the state on the grounds that there had been "insufficient public consultation" for the Blackpool Flood Relief Scheme has labeled plans to build a greenway on top of a culverted section of the River Bride as "ridiculous."

According to Chris Moody, a founding member of Save Our Bride Otters (SOBO) and a member of the Blackpool Regeneration Group, the proposal to culvert a section of the River Bride and build a greenway on top goes against common sense.

"First of all, the idea of putting a greenway over a culverted river is ridiculous, and then rewilding on top of it? That's not how things work, it goes the other way round," Mr. Moody told Tripe + Drisheen, explaining that it makes little sense to rewild what's been covered over.

Culverts should be opened up, he said, referring to cities across the world that have started down a process of deculverting rivers.

"The trend is not to culvert rivers," Mr. Moody said.

Mr. Moody was referring to plans that have been floated by the Blackpool Traders Group for a 25km greenway linking Blackpool to Blarney. Part of the greenway would run on top of a 350-metre culverted section of the River Bride as it flows through Blackpool.

Mick Moriarty, owner of the Baldy Barbers on Great William O'Brien Street in Blackpool and a member of the local Traders Group, conceded to Tripe + Drisheen that greenways require substantial infrastructure. But, he said the proposed greenway is a positive for Blackpool, especially as the population is expected to increase in line with population increases across the city.

While he accepted Mr. Moody's right to object to the OPW’s flood relief scheme, he said the "otters will find their own way, same as the fish will find their way, and the herons will find their own way."

Mr. Moriarty continued that while it's "lovely to see all these creatures," he asked if it's not "far more important to try and save residents' households and people who have businesses" in Blackpool?

The Traders Group has recently been meeting with local councillors and TDs as well as representatives of the National Transport Authority (NTA), the state body overseeing BusConnects in Cork, outlining their plan for the greenway.

Later this month, they’ll show those plans to the public at a meeting in Glen Rovers Hall, which Mr. Moriarty stressed is open to everyone.

Chris Moody (r) and his daughter (l) in the river Bride as it runs through Blackpool. Images via Chris Moody.

Stalled - a flood relief scheme for Blackpool

In March 2021, the former Minister for Public Expenditure, Michael McGrath, approved a flood relief project that involved culverting the River Bride for 350 meters through Blackpool village. However, the scheme is currently on hold due to a legal challenge by SOBO.

In a statement to Tripe + Drisheen, a spokesman for the OPW said that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform requested further information from the OPW arising from the judicial review.

The OPW complied and responded in October 2022.

The OPW statement continued: “The confirmation process for this scheme, including any additional public consultation required, is a matter for the Department for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. The Office of Public Works will continue to engage with the Department as appropriate to further progress the scheme. Subject to receipt of confirmation, the procurement process for a contractor will follow, with the works to commence shortly after.”

A Blackpool greenway?

While an idea for a cycleway from Blackpool is not new - Mr. Moody said he has seen plans for cycle paths linking Blackpool to Kilnap and Monard dating back to 1996 - the idea for a greenway has gained traction as two big infrastructure projects are coming down the line for Blackpool.

Besides the €20.5 million the OPW has budgeted for the flood relief scheme, the NTA is to spend €600m on 11 sustainable bus corridors in Cork city, one of which will pass through Blackpool. 

Mr. Moody said that the Blackpool Regeneration Group have also met with representatives of BusConnects and the NTA to talk about public realm improvements in Blackpool, but they “haven’t put anything together as ambitious as a greenway.”

Mr. Moody said he has seen and documented the damage caused by flooding to residents and local business owners in Blackpool, but he does not believe that the OPW’s proposed scheme for Blackpool will work.

Instead he believes the solution to Blackpool’s flooding lies in upstream storage. 

Furthermore, Mr. Moody said the culverting of The Bride scheme will destroy habitats and biodiversity. 

In the public consultation process for the Blackpool flood relief scheme, Fisheries Ireland said the culverting would lead to “the sterilisation of 350 metres of viable salmonid habitat.”

The Bride and its surrounding banks is home to foxes, badgers, stoats, mink, heron, wagtails, mallards and dippers. 

“There are other options,” Mr. Moody said and they don’t involve culverting the river.

Mr. Moriarty, however, said he has full faith in the plans proposed by the OPW which would see The Bride culverted as it passes through Blackpool village.

“I have great faith in the OPW,” Mr Moriarty said, adding that he has visited flood relief schemes in Bandon and Skibbereen where the OPW have “done wonders”.

“We’re interested in saving the community of Blackpool, residendtial-wise and business-wise,” Mr Moriarty said.

“I’m thirty years trying to get this resolved,” he added.

The wait goes on.

Balckpool Traders Group will hold a public meeting in Glen Rovers Hall at 7pm on Friday, April 14 to outline their greenway proposals. All are welcome.

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Further reading: Ellie’s long read from just over two years ago goes in to length about The Bride and the flooding in Blackpool and the flood relief scheme.

Pride in the Bride