Repair work on river weir is welcomed by politicians

Repair work on river weir is welcomed by politicians

20 March 2024

WORK is to start shortly to carry out emergency repairs at the Shimna river weir in Newcastle.

Department for Infrastructure and Newry, Mourne and Down Council officials met recently with South Down MP Chris Hazzard and Mournes councillor Wille Clarke to in an effort to secure the emergency work.

They urged officials to work in partnership in order that the weir can be repaired as quickly as possible as the worsening condition of the structure is increasingly impacting on the flow of the Shimna.

Mr Hazzard said the deteriorating condition of the weir is already having a detrimental impact on both the flow of the watercourse and the levels of the boating pond and “it’s obvious urgent repairs are required”.

He said as the local authority is responsible for the adjacent embankment and the nearby boating pond, which is most affected by the dramatic in water levels as the river flows unimpeded into the tide, there is a need to act quickly to ensure suitable repairs can be carried out as soon as possible. 

“With the council due to start repair works on the adjacent embankment imminently, we believe temporary repairs to urgently address the deteriorating weir structure can be carried out using stone gabions or something similar that doesn’t require lengthy planning procedures,” he added.

Cllr Clarke believes a temporary solution would address the issue in the short term, whilst also creating time to design and deliver a permanent long-term solution that has the required environmental licences and planning permissions. 

He thanked the local authority and DfI Rivers for taking the time to visit Islands Park to investigate flooding and persistent problems with debris and overgrown vegetation. 

“Given its location, this area requires a robust cleansing schedule and I welcome a commitment from the agencies to ensure regular maintenance is carried out, with debris and litter cleared as required,” added Cllr Clarke.