Ten thousand loads of earth are needed to build up embankments at part of phase 2 of the flood protection works in Fermoy. The problem is getting the soil from their source at Corrin Marts site to the Cork Marks site in Fermoy. It has to be done and the embankments built up within four months.

It’s proving quite the logistical nightmare for contractors Lagan Construction. When the town council balked at the idea of eight trucks an hour going through the town centre during the day the contractor decided to go through the village of Coolagown instead. Residents in the village, renowned for its successive Tidy Towns wins, quickly gave that plan the thumbs down.

This week compromise was reached on a couple of fronts but whether or not it’ll be enough to allow the contractor draw all of the required material in time remains to be seen.

The matter was discussed at length at the monthly meeting of the Fermoy area committee of the county council on Tuesday afternoon where the revised plan was deemed to be unrealistic by Cllr Pa O’Driscoll. He did the sums on the number of loads and routes as set out in the original plan, compared them with the more restricted proposed compromise plan. “It won’t deliver” he pronounced. Area engineer Brendan O’Gorman was inclined to agree and said the contractor would have to put on extra loads to get it done. There are also other ‘unknowns’ he said and pointed out that the work is also weather-dependent.

That meeting heard that the residents of Coolagown, following a meeting with the OPW and Lagan Construction organised by county councillor Frank O’Flynn at which they put their case, were now amenable to having the empty trucks pass through their village. Cllr Kevin O’Keffe said he was delighted that agreement had been reached there.

“The residents of Fermoy have to be considered too, let’s get this started at night time,” the area engineer urged members. “We all realise this has to be done. There will be pain,” he said. Cllr Noel McCarthy said it wouldn’t make sense to put the amount of traffic originally proposed through the town during the day. “It’s very important that we get this right. It’ll close businesses otherwise,” he warned.

Cllr O’Flynn called for the council to do a survey of the Coolagown roads before the work commenced and be prepared to repair any damaged by the heavy trucks passing over them. It was agreed that would be done.

Mayor Michael Hanley, as chairman of the council’s traffic management committee, put a motion before the monthly meeting of the town council on Tuesday evening calling on the council to support the contractor in transporting the soil, by agreeing to it being brought from 7pm to 7am each day, Sunday to Thursday through Fermoy via Cork Road-McCurtain Street-Pearse Square and returning via Patrick Street empty. He included the caveat that the decision be subject to review after four weeks. And, while he tabled the motion, he said on the subject: “We’d be laughed out of it anywhere in the world, going around the world to go from A to B. It’s economic lunacy. We are fast becoming a town under siege,” he added.

The matter provoked a long discussion and while various members aired their concerns about the effects of the convoys of heavy lorries passing through the town, it was felt to be the best compromise they could offer and was passed.

Cllr Frank O’Flynn welcomed their decision. Lagan spokesman Cian O’Sullivan acknowledged the move by the town council and said that they would make a start on the basis of the compromises reached with both the town council and community of Coolagown and see how the transportation progressed.