Executive urged to plan ahead over flooding

Speaking after a special DRD Committee meeting on the recent floods, Ulster Unionist MLA, Fred Cobain has questioned the current policies that the Executive has in place to deal with torrential rain and flooding. The lack of adequate provision is putting property, lives and the economy in Northern Ireland at risk, and unless action is taken quickly similar flooding may reoccur.

In a statement Mr. Cobain said,

"We have to realise that it appears that torrential rain is going to occur on a more regular basis - the weekend was no freak occurrence. This means we have to introduce measures to adapt to this situation - new strategies are needed to ensure that flash flooding is minimised and that a co-ordinated emergency strategy is in place to cope with the consequences of flooding.

At the moment Executive provisions in both these areas are woefully inadequate. Following the June 2007 floods there was much talk about improving the overall response to flooding. However, despite support at the time, there has been a failure to introduce one telephone number for all cross departmental agencies; equally there has been a failure to create a lead Department to co-ordinate the relevant agencies. The current set-up has led to confusion at local level, with people not knowing which agency to contact, adding to the disruption brought by flooding".

Reflecting on the need for a long-term strategy, Mr. Cobain urged the Executive to begin to plan for a changed climate:

"With torrential downpours of rain now appearing to be a characteristic of Northern Ireland summers, we have to stop treating such events as surprising or out of the ordinary. Instead, we need to plan in order to minimise flooding. In England and Wales an Independent Environment Agency produces detailed Flood Risk Assessments which it integrates into a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. The Environment agency then gives its independent opinion to planning authorities on whether certain developments should go ahead.

In Northern Ireland we unfortunately do not have an independent Environmental Protection Agency, nor a completed Flood Risk Assessment, nor a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. If we are to plan properly in order to minimise flooding, this surely needs to be addressed.

Concluding Mr Cobain said.

"I urge the Executive to get to grips with the twin issues of improving our response to flooding and adapting our environmental and planning strategies to deal with increased rain in the future. Not to do so could have grave consequences for Northern Ireland PLC".