Clonmany Residents

Shed Embankment, Civil Engineer and Embankment Concerns


20/08/2017 - Embankment @Shed with depth perspective of topsoil & subsoil cut

 

The Parochial Field was substantially developed in 2017 in an attempt to level the field. Was this 2017 Parochial Field development work legal?.

The above and below photos taken 2 days (20/08/2024) before the devastating flood show the topographical change to the Parochial Field and the substantial depth of topsoil and subsoil removed.

 

20/08/2017 - View towards Clonmany River and the Defective Blocks Infected Riverside Park

 


Photos and a video were taken (20/08/2017) of the Parochial Field due the size of the cut and angle of the topsoil and subsoil removed directly beside my mother’s shed. This was concerning on multiple levels : subsidence, structural and the thought of the shed falling into the Parochial Field potentially causing injury. The biggest fear in all of this was due to Clonmany Festival funfair rides being placed in the vicinity of the shed, coupled with vibrations from all the funfair rides.

My mother nor our family were pre-notified of this development work and were in complete shock when it happened. This work was carried out pre the 2017 festival, July?? time.

I raised concerns regarding this development in regard to the shed with one of the Festival Committee members, informing them that I would be taking some photos, getting a professional to look at them and get back to them. By chance, these photos were taken 2 days before the 2017 devasting flood. Fears of the shed falling into the Parochial Field during the 2017 Festival receded somewhat on seeing the layout of the Funfair. The area beside the shed was used to accommodate the Funfair caravans.

These photos, video stills and concerns were put to a professional in the industry. They said that it looked concerning from the photos and recommended getting it checked out by the appropriate professional, a Civil Engineer, due to my Funfair concerns. An onsite meeting was arranged with the Festival Committee.

At this meeting I was surprised that multiple festival personnel were present, I was expecting 2 at most. I didn’t assume anything other than this was a show of strength, but in no way intimidating. At the location of the embankment beside the shed, I relayed my concerns regarding the level of the cut, angle of the cut, subsidence, structural damage and the possibility of the shed crashing into the field at the festival. The potential effects of the Funfair were highlighted. I asked, did they seek professional advice. They replied that they didn’t and that they had relied on the expertise of the digger man.

I told them of the advice that I had received and that it needed to be checked by a Civil Engineer. There was no push back on this. However, I was taken aback when one member of the party suggested that they would leave it us (as a family) to sort it out. Rightly or wrongly, I took this as an attempt to burden my elderly mother with both the process and the cost of getting their development work assessed. I instantly and forthrightly retorted that it was their job to get it sorted as they had created this sloped embankment. Some of the Festival Committee members were shocked, I never did find out if it was due to my forthright retort or the suggestion that my mother should be burdened with the process and cost of this civil Engineering investigation work.

John Bradley

 

The resultant Foyle Consulting Engineers report was dated 01/08/2018, 4 days prior to the start of the 2018 festival.

The Foyle Consulting Engineers report stated that “the excavation is not deemed to have any detrimental effect on the existing shed” and “the fairground operations that take place within the festival field wo have no effect on the existing shed”.


Extract from report.

Extract from report.

However, the Foyle Consulting Engineers report did propose enhancements/modifications to the embankment,

“In order to lessen the impact of the embankment; to guard against any future erosion of exposed soil and to lesson any potential health and safety risk, I would recommend that any overburden above the floor level of the shed be removed and that the embankment be filled out, compacted, lined with topsoil and landscaped at an angle not exceeding 30 degrees.”.


Extract from report.


This "any overburden above the floor level of the shed be removed" is the tree lined boundary between my mother's land and the Parochial Field. My Mother's property deeds will attest to this tree lined boundary line. Any attempt to remove this boundary ('overburden') needs to be agreed in advance.

John Bradley

 


Extract from report.

The site layout map in the Foyle Consulting Engineers report clearly defined the degree of slope to be filled out at 3 points (A, B and C). The report recommended that the base of the slope at points A,B, and C be extended by


Extract from report.

From the report dated, 01/08/2018 to 01/01/2025 ( 6 years and 5 months, 2345 days ), this recommended work to guard against “further erosion” and “to lesson any potential health and safety risks” has not been addressed.


Foyle Consulting Engineers proposed Health & Safety embankment enhancements have not been implemented.


The embankment's soil has been exposed to 2345 days of “further erosion”, 7.5+ years of erosion.


Not only has the slope been exposed to six and a half years of “further erosion” (7.5+ years after initial development), a section of the embankment has been excavated in April 2024 at the time of the ESB Networks development work in Parochial Field. It is assumed that this was the initial intended location of the ESB Network’s Substation. The Substation was relocated due to its proximity to a home heating oil tank, once ESB Networks were made aware of the location and concerns regarding this home heating oil tank. This initial ESB Networks Substation was to be located in the proposed Kids Play Park.


ESB Networks Excavated embankment 17/04/2024.


ESB Networks Excavated embankment 17/04/2024.



XX - Initial proposed location of Substation in Kids Play Park.


Left : Photo of Shed crack with 20 cent coin (20/08/2017)
Right : Photo of Shed crack with 2 one-euro coins (12/01/2025)


2024 Clonmany Festival : Location of shed and Funfair.


One of the photos taken on the 20/08/2017, include a photo of crack on the back of house facing shed wall.

0/08/2017 - the only place that I could put a 20c coin.

12/03/2024 - crack could take a 1€ coin

11/01/2025 - crack can take two 1€ coins

On the 12/03/2024 while taking photos for my planning objection, I had a look at the crack on the shed. It just about took a 1 Euro coin (2.33mm), a 50c coin (2.38mm) was too big to insert.

Width of Euro Coins

  • 20 cent - 2.14mm
  • 50 cent - 2.38mm
  • 1 Euro - 2.33mm

Crack Progression

Aug 2017 -> Mar 2024 -> Jan 2025

2.14mm -> 2.33mm -> 4.66mm

Aug 2017 -> Mar 2023

8.87% increase in 79 months.

Mar 2024 -> Jan 2025

100% increase in next 10 months.

ESB Networks Embankment Excavation April 2024.

Aug 2017 -> Jan 2025

117.76% in total.


John Bradley

 

Taking the substantial excavation and disruption of the embankment soil in tandem with the lack of the Foyle Consulting Engineers Health & Safety embankment enhancements to guard against "further erosion" of the exposed soil and to "lesson any potential health and safety risk",

this embankment needs to be reassessed in regard to subsidence, structural damage and the possibility of the shed crashing into the field.

 

Questions for ESB Networks

 

Questions for Clonmany Enterprise Development Ltd

 

Will Clonmany Enterprise Development Ltd and/or ESB Networks employ Civil Engineers to analyse this embankment in regard to the elderly lady's shed in respect to subsidence, structural damage and the possibility of the shed crashing into the field?

 

Is this 2017 Parochial Field development work legal? If not, should the Parochial Field be returned to its pre 2017 development state?

Planning Objection   |   Public Toilet Anti-Social Behaviour Research   |   'Night of The Big Flood'   |   OPW Flood Risk Management Plan   |   Clonmany Historical Flooding   |   Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)   |   Riverside Embankment   |   Riverside Embankment Timeline   |   Onsite Development Embankment Enlargement   |   Onsite Development ESB Networks   |   Potential Topography Flooding   |   Revised Shed Location & Flood Maps   |   Funding, Management and Operation of the Facilities   |   Alleged Old Asbestos Pipe   |   Play Park Health & Safety   |   Legality of 2017 Developments   |   Shed Embankment, Civil Engineer and Embankment Concerns   |   Reported Onsite Development   |   Defective Blocks - Flooding   |   Planning Application Inconsistencies Inaccuracies   |   RTÉ CountryWide & Science Week   |   Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
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