Alliance Councillors and MLA comment one year on from the South Down floods
Alliance representatives have marked the first anniversary of the flooding that devastated parts of South Down last year.
Andrew McMurray MLA (Alliance) spoke on the matter in the NI Assembly last week. The South Down MLA said: “I want to acknowledge the devastating effects of the flooding that are still visible in Newcastle and Downpatrick in my South Down constituency.
“Standing in Downpatrick under blue skies while watching the flood waters come in like a rising tide was an awful sight. In fact, the atmosphere was akin to that at a wake.”
“Alliance representatives from across the Council area were present on the ground at the time, supporting those affected by the floods.
“Cllrs David Lee-Surginor (Rowallane) and Cadogan Enright of (Downpatrick) worked with retail workers and owners, clearing out flooded shops, disseminating compensations paperwork and helping business owners source alternative premises.
“Cllr Tierna Howie worked with dozens of businesses to help them with the paperwork for their compensation claims, and Cllr Helena Young has been following up on issues for those affected since the flooding happened.
“My predecessor, Patrick Brown MLA, also organised meetings with the Permanent Secretary to develop compensation arrangements and to work out inequities in the initial scheme to benefit as many flooded premises as possible, like Sports organisations or Charities.”
Andrew McMurray added: “Despite these efforts, the Government response following the flooding had not been as efficient as hoped, as many businesses had difficulties accessing relief funding.
He said: “In Downpatrick many shops are still closed for business and the Credit Union only opened this week in Market Street after a years’ worth of reconstruction effort.
“It will take more than a one-year programme for the centre of Downpatrick to recover from the economic shock that was visited upon it in the shape of those floods.”
Mr McMurray also raised the plight of Newcastle residents who saw their homes flooded.
He said: “Our Newcastle Councillor Jill Truesdale has been working with local residents who live in fear every time that there is an adverse weather forecast. Residential homes need more support after such incidents.
“This was a key point in Cllr Truesdale’s Council motion for a NI Flood Warning System in line with the rest of the UK, and I have been pushing for a Flood Forecasting Centre at Stormont as well”.
He added that some local residents who had applied for residential flood prevention measures through the Homeowners Flood Protection Grant have been waiting for months for their applications to be processed, with many decisions still outstanding.
“While the reports and reviews are welcome, residents and traders are impatient to see tangible developments that will prevent flooding from happening to the same degree again.”
Over the course of the past year, the South Down MLA has met with representatives of the groups and communities affected and has repeatedly raised flooding-related concerns with the Government.
Mr McMurray said: “I have probed the Minister for Infrastructure about funding for a Flood Forecasting System and on plans for improvements to surface drain systems in Newcastle.
“And I have requested information on the activities of the Flood Strategy Steering Group, which is led by his Department.
“I have also raised the issue of access to household insurance for flooded properties that were built after 2009 with him. These properties are currently excluded from a UK Government-backed scheme, which affects some residents in Newcastle.
“I have also questioned the Minister for the Economy in relation to applications to the Enhanced Flood Support Scheme and hardship scheme and any plans for reallocation of surplus moneys from these schemes and regeneration of Downpatrick’s town centre.
“I will continue to probe Government Ministers on these issues until a satisfactory solution is in place.”
Cllr Jill Truesdale has also been working to improve flood preparedness in Newcastle. The Mournes Councillor said: “I have brought a motion to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, asking it to commit to establishing a multi-agency emergency response task force.
“The task force would assist the Community Resilience flood groups in the area, set up key sandbag refilling and coordination of storage points, purchase and store sand-less sandbags, which are less heavy and therefore easier to handle, and explore options for environmentally sustainable flood defences, among other responsibilities.”
Cllr Truesdale added: “I have been working with the Newcastle Resilience Group on a peripheral basis and the progress they have made is entirely down to their dedication and commitment.
“They created a very comprehensive response to the Flood Report which finally made an appearance in July 2023 and last week sent out the first draft of a community Emergency Resilience Plan to DfI, Rivers and Council”.
