DfI Says Downpatrtick Flood Alleviation Plans Are Getting Closer
The Northern Ireland Audit Office has released a report – Flood Risk Management in Northern Ireland (16th June 2026) and on page 27 it says: “Despite significant work, a strategic and coherent framework for managing surface water flood risk has not been implemented.(p27)” The NIAO added that “the current approach continues to be fragmented, under-resourced and hampered by an inadequate governance framework.“
This is disconcerting news for many residents and business people impacted by flooding in recent years, especially in Newry and Downpatrick.
Down News asked the Department for Infrastructure for a comment. The reply from a Department spokesperson said: “The Downpatrick Flood Alleviation Scheme study remains at an advanced stage of business case development.
“The Department only received the relevant information from it’s consultant in late Spring.”
McMurray concerned about flood management findings
South Down Andrew McMurray MLA has expressed concern at findings of a Northern Ireland Audit Office report published last week.
The report examined flood risk management in Northern Ireland and identified several weaknesses in the Department for Infrastructure’s performance in this area. Commenting during Infrastructure Committee, the South Down MLA said: “The issues identified in the report will not give any reassurance to my constituents.
“In fact, I would go as far to say that these are the things that keep my constituents quite literally up awake at night.
“The level of inspection and the condition of river flood defences is lower than targeted, some medium consequence assets are in poor or very poor condition, and inspection of rural watercourses is being under-resourced because of urban watercourses are prioritised.
“As someone that has a large rural constituency across South Down, I know there are parts of South Down, between Kilkeel, Annalong and Newcastle, that become impassable due to flooding. To have this in black and white is quite concerning.
“In recent years, South Down saw the highest daily rainfalls in Katesbridge, the highest wind speeds in Killowen, South-East flooding in 2023, and the landscape fires that we keep seeing in South Down.
“The change in weather patterns and our impact on the climate couldn’t be clearer in South Down, and we need to take this seriously.”
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The expected report in April this year does not appear to have arrived yet from the DfI. The engineers’ assessment of the alleviation of flooding in Downpatrick may be a shock to the Department if it recommends major development works…the funding will have to be found from a cash-strapped Executive.
When the full report is detailed through the Department, Down News will report on it asap. The clock is ticking. With the Council and Assembly elections coming up next year in May, it is unlikely works will progress and this could run into another two years of worry for Downpatrick businesses.
Hopefully it will not be put on the back burner like the Ballynahinch by-pass. The Downpatrick business community which suffered and is still suffering from the flood in 2023, will be watching this space closely.
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