Derry flood defence schemes still years away, says John O'Dowd

Flood defences in Derry appear to be years away, with design work for one at-risk area not set to finish until 2026.

A number of people had to be rescued in the Eglinton and Drumahoe areas of Co Derry in 2017 when some roads and bridges crumbled, cars were washed away and homes and businesses were destroyed in powerful storms. There have been calls for flood defences to protect at-risk areas for the past seven years.

Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd, in an update on flood alleviation schemes for Drumahoe and Eglinton, said a "review" of possible solutions for Eglinton should be finished in the spring of next year while design work on "proposals" for Drumahoe isn't expected to be complete until 2026.

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Mr O'Dowd said an "economically viable" scheme has been identified for Drumahoe, but remains "dependent" on the availability of money to pay for it. In Eglinton, he said an "economically viable solution" is still being sought.

He had been asked for an update on flood alleviation schemes for the two at-risk areas by the SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan.

The Minister said: "Development of potential flood alleviation proposals for Drumahoe is complex and remains ongoing. An economically viable scheme has been identified at this stage and consultants have been instructed to progress the detailed design phase of this project. It is intended that the detailed design phase will be complete by early 2026.

"Following this, progress to procurement and construction will be dependent on proposals remaining viable and availability of capital funding."

He continued: "Development of flood alleviation proposals for Eglinton are being progressed to determine if an economically viable solution can be found.

"Whilst a potential solution that would mitigate the risk of flooding from the river has been identified, surface water flooding would still affect properties. It is hoped that a wider-ranging review, which will look beyond traditional hard engineered solutions will be completed by Spring 2025."

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