Mid and East Antrim Council told of flood risk rise

The Department is predicting a 40 per cent rise in flooding from 3,400 properties currently at risk from either surface water, rivers or sea.

The increase will be caused by the impact of climate change and rising sea levels and more torrential flooding, a Department official told a meeting of the borough council’s Climate Change Working Group recently.

The Department says that Larne Harbour is particularly susceptible to flooding from the sea and surface water.

Ballymena is reportedly “susceptible to surface water issues and river flooding from climate change”.

At a maritime briefing last month, councillors were told of the need to continue monitoring the King William Pier in Carrickfergus as there has been “some further movement” and the area has been fenced off.

At a Harbours and Marinas meeting, councillors were advised the cost of replacing the broken groynes at the promenade in Carrickfergus would  amount to almost £0.5m to replace.

Members said that the council needed to engage with the Department for Infrastructure and Crown Estates “as the groynes were there to protect the road and the area is leased”.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s Direct Services Committee last week, Sinn Fein Coast Road Councillor James McKeown reported that Carnlough Harbour has been in darkness for “last number of weeks”.

“Somebody is going to end up in the harbour,” he said.

Philip Thompson, the council’s director of Operations, indicated that staff are progressing repairs.

Read previous story on climate change here

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter

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