Downpatrick flooding: Businesses ‘underwhelmed’ by draft report

Among the businesses severely damaged was Digney Grant Insurance Brokers in the Sugar Island area of Newry.

They’ve since reopened their premises – but managing Director Anthony Boden says the slow pace of progress on all aspects of flood recovery has been disheartening.

“There’s a lot of frustration about the town in terms of the time it has taken to get the funds out,” he said.

“Really it shouldn’t have taken this amount of time. It was agreed in mid-November so really it should have been sorted by now.”

Mr Boden added: “From the insurance point of view, in terms of mitigation and alleviation nothing has happened to date which is very concerning because this could happen again.

“What I want to see, as a business owner, is a plan that if this does happen that we all kick into action. That something is written down and in place.”

Insurance cover is also a concern, Mr Boden said: “No insurance company that is going to entertain flood cover in this area of Newry or in Downpatrick until formal alleviation plans are put in place.”