6 days ago
Downpatrick flood prevention scheme could cost £22.5m
A £22.5 million (€27m) flood prevention scheme has been recommended for the town of Downpatrick in Co Down, which was devastated by flood waters in the autumn of 2023.
The proposal by a team of engineers is now being examined by Stormont's Department for Infrastructure to determine if it would be economically viable.
The commercial heart of Downpatrick was deluged with water in late October and early November 2023, with a depth of almost 2.5 metres in some places.
It was the result of a combination of heavy rainfall over a two-week period and high tides which raised the level of the Quoile river, which flows just west of the town.
Some 50 businesses were immediately devastated by flood waters, while a further 50 suffered loss of business due to road closures at the time and a significant drop in footfall for months afterwards.
Some of the businesses never re-opened.
A £10m fund was established to support businesses impacted but less than half was paid out, with £5.3m clawed back by Stormont's Department for the Economy.
The Department for Infrastructure commissioned a study by Amey Consulting to assess options for reducing the risk of a repeat.
A computerised simulation of possible flooding scenarios in the town was used to help identify the best ways to do so.
The study considered 14 possible schemes which were reduced to a shortlist of two that were considered technically viable.
The preferred option, a combination of culverts, embankments, drains and pumps, would offer flood protection to 78 businesses and 28 homes with an estimated cost of £22.5m including maintenance costs of around £2m.
A cost-benefit analysis suggests the scheme would prevent flood damage which would cost around £26m to repair.
Stormont's Minister for Infrastructure, Sinn Féin's Liz Kimmins, has said further work will now take place to determine if the preferred option is economically viable.
Several traders in the town have said that they are not optimistic that the money will be made available.
Images of Ciara Douglas wading through knee-deep water with communion dresses over her shoulder went viral on RTÉ's TikTok page with more than 2 million views.
Her business, 'Making Memories for You', lost much of its stock due to flood damage.
Ms Douglas said re-opening left her "substantially" out of pocket when her business was allocated around £30,000 from Stormont's support fund, despite initially being told there could be up to £100,000 available.
She questions whether a new £20m flood defence system is necessary, saying the risk of future flooding could be substantially reduced if the town's storm drains were regularly cleared and maintained and the Quoile river dredged to remove silt.
"I just can't see that scheme going ahead," said Ms Douglas, adding, "there's a lot of other stuff that needs done around this town so they should concentrate on that and do the work that's needed on the drains and the river.
"The problem is they just keep arguing over who's doing it, is it going to be DFI (Department for Infrastructure), is it the council's job, is it the river agency's?
"You know, why don't they just get together and get it done. End all the, 'you have to do it, and you have to do it, and this one has to do it'. Next thing we'll all be under water again and that's really what will happen," she said.
Mal McGrady from Downpatrick's regeneration working group met Ms Kimmins to discuss the proposal and he has concerns about where £22.5m for the scheme will be found.
"We can't rely on chance, we have to have preventative measures in place," he said.
"My understanding is that that (funding) has already been redistributed to other ministerial portfolios and has probably been spent at this stage, so we are probably looking at new money."
Mr McGrady added: "I did make the point to the minister that if these works aren't done and we have floods and further floods the long-term cost is going to be significantly more than that, and that would be the death knell for places like Downpatrick."
However, Paul McCartan, whose family has run a shoe shop in the town for almost a century, is more optimistic.
The shutters on their shoe shop in Market Street were closed for many months due to the water damage and they operated from a temporary premises.
The original shop is now re-opened, and he said business is good, despite lower footfall in the town since the flooding.
But he said there is a constant nagging fear of a repeat.
"Of course, you still live with a bit of trepidation, but you try and put it to the back of your mind otherwise you wouldn't get out of bed in the morning, so you have to be positive," Mr McCartan said.
But having spoken to politicians about the proposed flood prevention scheme, he believes it will go ahead.
He added: "I've been assured the money will be available and is available if they come up with the right plan. I'm confident that we will see these improvements.
"The bottom line is that DFI want to secure the future of Downpatrick, they can't risk the town sinking, the county town going under water. They want to future proof the town."
