Thousands to be spent on Clady flood defences

Revealed by Sinn Féin MLA Maolíosa McHugh following a communication with Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon, some £300,000 is set to be spent in the spring on the construction of new flood walls on the Donnygowen Burn in Clady.

Various parts of Clady and the surrounding area fell victim to Storm Desmond back in December 2015. Businesses, homes and farmland was affected.

“Much of Clady and its hinterland low lying areas and have always been prone to flooding but following particularly devastating flooding in the village and surrounding areas in 2015, we strongly lobbied the then Minister Chris Hazard on the need for remedial action,” Mr McHugh said this week.

“He subsequently visited the village to see and hear the issues at first hand and shortly afterwards announced a flood mitigation scheme totalling almost 500,000.

“£190,000 has already been spent on works to fortify banking on the Clady side of the Finn, in conjunction with other remedial works. There is no doubt that these works have helped to protect the village and surrounding areas in the interim not least when river levels were exceptionally during the recent spate of storms.

“The current Minister Nichola Mallon has now confirmed to me, in response to a written question that the flood alleviation scheme on the Donnygowen Burn, where it joins the River Finn, is due to commence this spring.

“This scheme, estimated to cost £300,000 involves the construction of floodwalls to further help reduce the risk of flooding particularly to six properties in the immediate vicinity of Clady Bridge.”

However in relation to flooding from the River Finn that affects around 10 properties located along the Urney Road, about a mile outside Clady, Mr McHugh says Minister Mallon has indicated that various options looked at to reduce the risk of flooding to these properties has been deemed not to be economically viable.

“This is very disappointing news, not least for those residents at constant risk,” the Sinn Féin representative said.

“I have asked the Minister for her assessment of the effectiveness of flood mitigation measures carried out along the River Finn to protect properties in Clady village and adjoining areas and I am awaiting her response.”