Flood repairs may top £9m

Flood repairs may top £9m

8 November 2023

THE financial impact of last week’s flood which decimated Downpatrick town centre is almost a staggering £9m, the Down Recorder can exclusively reveal.

That figure is almost certain to increase as a survey of all affected businesses has not yet been completed, with fears the final cost could be in excess of £11m.

Last Saturday, as flood waters subsided, Newry, Mourne and Down Council environmental health staff surveyed businesses collating the value of lost stock, equipment, loss of revenue and the cost to reopen. 

To date, almost 50 businesses have been visited.

It has been confirmed that 175 staff have been affected by the flooding with the information collated by local authority staff forwarded to the Northern Ireland Office and Civil Service as part of the bid for financial assistance.

News of the cost comes as high level talks continue to discuss financial support packages for traders in Downpatrick whose businesses were swamped by flood water.

Northern Ireland Office minister Jonathan Caine is in talks with the head of the Civil Service Jayne Brady and her senior officials to look at financial aid for beleaguered traders, some of whom face an uncertain future.

A recovery sub-group has been established to bring together civil service departments and local government to engage with businesses affected by the severe weather which led to the worst ever flooding in Downpatrick’s history.

On Monday evening, the flooding was discussed by Newry, Mourne and Down Council with politicians backing calls for immediate financial assistance for traders. Almost 50 shops have been affected by the flood water.

There are also fears that a huge number of workers could temporarily find themselves without a job with several admitting they will have no choice but to seek support from the town’s foodbank as the businesses they worked in remain closed.

After the wettest October on record, the town centre was left under four feet of water with the level in some businesses even higher after the swollen Quoile river burst its banks. 

Water poured into the town centre at a frightening rate on Wednesday evening and during the early hours of Thursday, flooding Market Street and St Patrick’s Avenue in a matter of hours and destroying businesses. 

Shocked traders — some of whom fear they may never reopen — were greeted by an apocalyptic scene, but were helpless to act. They looked on in stunned silence, watching the rising flood water and counting the cost. 

There was also frustration that heavy duty pumps which can disperse 7,000 litres of water a minute could not be deployed in the town centre until the water level in the Quoile dipped by two feet.

The operation was due to start on Saturday morning, but a window of opportunity opened shortly after 11pm on Friday night and the 14-hour operation began.

But before it got underway, drone surveys were carried out with real time imaging sent to the various agencies involved in the emergency response. 

The aerial images revealed oil floating on the surface of the water which was linked to a heating oil tank which flood water lifted off its stand and toppling it over.

With calls intensifying for urgent financial support, questions are being asking what exactly happened last week and how millions of gallons of water gushed into the town centre?

A call also been made for an independent review of what happened with all the various agencies, including the Department for infrastructure, asked to respond, with the outcome made public.

And the spotlight is being shone on what potential measures can be implemented to prevent major flooding in the future, including dredging the Quoile river to remove tonnes of silt and other debris which many believe contributed to last week’s catastrophic event.

The Downpatrick and Co Down Railway, Ballydugan Road and Dunleath Park were flooded last Wednesday morning but no one predicted what was to follow.

Water started to pour into Market Street on Wednesday morning and 24 hours later the town was swamped. 

Businessman Tom Gibney who has been trading in Downpatrick for half a century said he had never before witnessed anything like it as shops were engulfed.

To compound the situation, many of the affected  businesses cannot get flood insurance and say they are in urgent need of financial support if they are to survive, with others seeking alternative accommodation as work to repair the flood damage in their current premises gets underway.

Business owners not affected by the flood are also keen to see their neighbours provided with financial support to help them get back up and running to generate town centre footfall.

They hope money will be forthcoming to help Downpatrick begin its recovery and for the business community to prepare for the busy run-up to Christmas. There have also been calls for shoppers to support local businesses even more.

“We need a vibrant town centre,” said one trader. “The build back starts now and it’s essential traders whose businesses have been ruined are provided with all the help and assistance they require. It’s simply essential for Downpatrick’s future.”