‘Unacceptable’ power cut in Castlewellan

‘Unacceptable’ power cut in Castlewellan

15 January 2020

ELECTRICITY chiefs have been urged to resolve issues with the power supply in Castlewellan.

Last Saturday, a number of homes and businesses suffered a loss of power which local politicians have described as “unacceptable”.

It is believed to be the fifth power failure in the town over recent months.

South Down MLA Emma Rogan and Slieve Croob councillor Roísín Howell said a number of businesses were forced to close last Saturday as a result of the power cut which lasted for four hours.

They say the most recent loss of power happened just two days before Christmas on what is traditionally one of the busiest days of the year for the town’s business community.

Ms Rogan said it is “totally unacceptable” that businesses have again been forced to close as a result of power cuts, confirming she is seeking an urgent meeting with NIE to resolve the issue.

She said businesses should not have had to close their doors last Saturday on one of their busiest days of the week due to an electrical fault. 

“I will be requesting an urgent meeting with NIE and expect an explanation for these recurring issues,” confirmed Ms Rogan.

“NIE needs to act now to ensure that this matter is resolved urgently. Many of those affected by last weekend’s power failure were small, family-run businesses who rely on Saturday trade. The fact that they were forced to close was unacceptable.”

Cllr Howell said that the power cuts are are becoming more regular, explaining that the loss of power is an “issue of great frustration”, particularly for the Castlewellan business community.

“The previous loss of power happened on December 23, one of the busiest trading days for local businesses,” she explained.

“The loss of power meant that many traders were unable to use their tills or card machines, with many having to turn customers away. This is far below the level of service NIE should be delivering for local businesses.”

Cllr Howell also echoed Ms Rogan’s call for NIE to get to get the bottom of what us causing the power cuts to ensure they do not happen again.