Downpatrick flooding report due in months

Downpatrick flooding report due in months

13 March 2024

THE report into the catastrophic flooding which caused millions of pounds worth of damage in Downpatrick town centre last November is due to be completed by early summer.

The Executive Office and Department for Infrastructure are both involved in compiling the report with business owners expected to be asked for their input shortly.

The town centre was engulfed by water after the Quoile river burst its banks, leaving some businesses under five feet of water but over our months on, the business community continues to count the cost and is looking for answers to many questions.

Last week it was revealed that work to complete the eagerly-awaited report is being accelerated with the focus on what led to the flooding and, significantly, are there any viable flood risk management, maintenance or capital interventions which can be identified.

In addition to town centre businesses, the Downpatrick and Co Down Railway was swamped, leaving it with an estimated £3m repair bill, while the Asda superstore at the adjacent Downe Retail Park was condemned after its structural foundation suffered major damage.

The store was closed immediately following a detailed and forensic examination by structural engineers and is to be bulldozed, alongside three adjoining stores.

Planning permission is being sought to raze the buildings to the reground and replace them.

South Down MLA Colin McGrath said the report was long overdue.

He said the flooding was the worst in living memory and “heart breaking” for all concerned.

Mr McGrath said people were powerless as they witnessed the calamitous scene unfolding in front of them, helplessly looking on as flood water continued to rise before their eyes.

He said it was widely acknowledged that a wide-ranging an in-depth review of what happened was required with a focus on what could be done to ensure it never happens again.

Mr McGrath, who has been in contact with Stormont Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd, said the first phase of the flood report has been completed which involved individual stakeholder engagement with various bodies.

“While this is welcome, it should not have taken four months for the government department to have engagements with organisations that it has responsibility for,” he suggested.

“I know the many businesses across Downpatrick would have jumped at the opportunity to provide an assessment and evidence of what took place. But for whatever reason the Department has decided to make that first approach to its own bodies.”

Mr McGrath said that following his contact with the department, it was his understanding that there will be a multi-agency debrief of the first phase of discussions this week.

“This will be followed by wider stakeholder engagement with businesses, groups and political representatives and will mean the report should be ready around June,” he revealed.

“While it is essential that this report is completed and done correctly, eight months does seem like an excessive time to complete it, with no engagement carried out with local businesses.”

Mr McGrath said Downpatrick businesses are already facing uncertain future and that next autumn could bring more heavy rain.  

He added: “Businesses need and deserve answers. I will continue to press the department and its minister to ensure this process is completed as quickly and efficiently as possible. People in Downpatrick simply cannot wait any longer.”

Officials at the Downpatrick and Co Down Railway say it’s important the impact the devastating flood had on their operation is not forgotten.

At the start of the year, the heritage railway launched an appeal for financial help as it battled to come to terms with its £3m repair bill.

Officials are asking for help as they attempt to not only reopen for business, but preserve a piece of unique living history for future generations to remember the past.

November’s flood left the hugely popular railway under water with officials working tirelessly to navigate the aftermath of the catastrophic incident which they say left the organisation in a state of “disarray and threatening its entire future.”

The flood left a trail of devastating destruction in its wake, with the water causing substantial damage, necessitating urgent repairs to locomotives, carriages, track, bridges, platforms, and buildings.

The financial burden was described as “substantial” with volunteers describing the task to return the railway to its pre-flood state and operational condition to ensure its long-term viability and continued contribution to the community as “monumental”.