Beggs Blasts Planning For Floods

The Ulster Unionist spokesman on the environment, Roy Beggs has welcomed the launch of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency's 'Managing Stormwater' document.

However, he also slammed the Stormont Executive for its 'slow' response to flooding matters overall, even though the new consultation document seeks to increase the use of sustainable drainage systems within the province.

However, Mr Beggs warned that in light of ever more frequent torrential rain, progress to combat flash flooding has been too slow and there is still a lack of co-ordinated action.

Mr Beggs said: "The Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) consultation document will have a large role to play in attempting to reduce flash flooding in the future.

"As more urban green space is being built upon as a result of new development and garden grabbing, there is less natural permeable drainage remaining and faster surface run off results. This in turns contributes to local flooding."

He said SuDS systems have already been a requirement of the planning system in England for many years.

"They attempt to replicate natural drainage reducing the pressure on the local drainage infrastructure."

However, the MLA claimed progress has been too slow: "For SuDs systems to be successfully implemented it is going to take significant co-operation between at least three different Departments, with the Environment Agency, the Planning Service, and the Rivers Agency all having a role."

He said: "In light of the shambolic way the Executive is being lead at the moment I am not going to hold my breath for efficient and effective delivery."

English authorities are currently bringing forward a Flood and Water Management Bill that will improve on a system, which Mr Beggs said, is already vastly superior to NI's.

"The people of Northern Ireland who are still suffering and will suffer in the future from flash floods deserve better," he said.

"The First and the deputy First Minister are in charge of sustainable development and have an obligation to play a co-ordinating and leading role on such issues. To date they have abjectly failed," added the UUP MLA.

(PR/BMcc)