'Excrement actually over the footpath' claim over creaking infrastructure
Northern Ireland Water has been accused of using a “veto” to block planned developments amid news that 1,300 properties are already “on hold” thanks to under-pressure sewage systems.
And councillors have heard how creaking infrastructure is already unfit for purpose with rain leading to “excrement actually over the footpath”.
Correspondence from NIW estimates that plans for 1,300 ‘units’ will be impacted in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) area due to economic constraints on the waste-water system. The correspondence does not define ‘units’, but says they “include homes in private and social ownership schemes, commercial and public buildings”.
Mournes DUP rep, Glyn Hanna said: “I think it is an extremely disappointing response from NIW. With the 1,300 units on hold including from Ardglass to Bessbrook, Downpatrick, Killyleagh, Newry and Saintfield.
“To be quite honest with you, I am on the planning committee and we are working on the Local Development Plan (LDP) for a number of years now.
“This correspondence from NIW is pretty much a veto on developments, should it be dwellings or businesses, it is a deadstop on everything. The population is growing all the time and for NIW to come out with this is actually demeaning on everybody.”
He added: “They need to get themselves sorted. I know they are using the excuse that they have no money, I think they should be doing things more efficiently.
“They are going to have to find the money from somewhere. The LDP is actually irrelevant if this doesn’t get sorted out. It’s so disappointing. They talk about figures of money, and it is getting us nowhere. There’s Annalong, it’s over developed as it is.
“The sewers are not fit to cope, they’ve a dual storm and sewage system and the tops get blown off. It’s going to be raining tomorrow, and I’ve just been out cleaning up this evening.
“It’ll be exactly the same tomorrow. It’s distressing for everyone to see excrement actually over the footpath and all over everywhere. For them to come back and actually give us no indication of how they are going to move forward with it I think it is a total disgrace. Something needs to be done with it.”
Newry SDLP councillor, Killan Feehan added: “I share a lot of Cllr Hanna’s frustrations there. That is the second letter we have got from NIW in as many months. They can obviously point to the problems and where they exist and that’s helpful up to a point. But at a certain point they are going to need to be addressed.
“A statement from NIW on 7 Feb 2023, says during the price control period 2021 to 2027 period, there would be a £109m capital investment for the NMDDC area in upgrading water and waste-water.
“So, I was wondering whether we would be able to write to NIW to ask how much of that £109m has been spent as we are halfway through that period, when the remainder is going to be spent and if the full amount is spent will that address all the issues they have raised? Or is additional capital required.”