Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has asked the valve and flooding issue at the Atlantic Pond be prioritised. At this week’s City Council meeting, in response to Cllr McCarthy’s written question, Director of Services David Joyce outlined that the delivery of the proposed works to the outer valve and associated localised quay wall repair has been delayed due to the backlog of work arising from Covid 19 as well as significant workloads associated with other functional areas e.g. planning applications for housing, responding to flooding and other emergency incidents etc.

Mr Joyce noted: “this site consists of a twin valve configuration, with an inner and outer valve. The inner valve is fully functional with the outer vale in need of repair and reinstallation. While this interim configuration is not ideal it does function, albeit without the redundancy of the twin valve setup. The intention is to carry these works as quickly as possible. A sustained period of dry weather will be required to enable the works to proceed”.

Cllr McCarthy highlighted at the City Council meeting: “The Atlantic Pond valve work needs to be accelerated by the end of the year. There was funding of over e.50,000 put aside for the works to proceed this year. It is essential that they proceed and that the funding is not thrown back into the Council’s budget pot. The Atlantic Pond is a fantastic amenity, and its footpaths seem to get regularly flooded during the winter hindering full use of the pond for walkers and amenity users”.