By Julie Waters
DONAGHADEE residents are ‘alarmed’ and ‘distressed’ at the lack of action from Stormont officials to repair Donaghadee’s historic sea wall.
Former Mayor Mark Brooks is leading the call for the wall’s urgent repair after it was damaged by storms Babet and Ciaran over the winter.
Councillor Brooks said he had been contacted by a number of concerned residents who were fearful the wall would ‘continue to crumble’ if action was not taken.
The Ulster Unionist Party politician said local people’s concerns had been ‘dismissed’ by the Department for Infrastructure which described the damage as ‘only cosmetic’.
Said Mr Brooks: “I have been contacted by concerned residents as to the state of the sea wall which has been damaged by the recent storms. The wall is crumbling at one particular point to the extent that there soon will be a hole all the way through.
“The Spectator has covered widely the recent call for action to address climate change and the potential threat to Donaghadee and the harbour. This repair of the sea wall is a small issue but one that I and the local community are alarmed at and distressed at the lack of action.”
Said Mr Brooks: “John Caldwell, secretary of Donaghadee Community Development Association, has also written to the department and they have said the damage is only cosmetic. This has put people’s backs up as they are concerned that if it is not dealt with it will become a bigger issue.
“We would like the wall repaired. It is a historic wall and it is only going to get worse. People are very concerned about it and they don’t like being dismissed.”
In response to Mr Caldwell’s sea wall repair query, correspondence from a senior DfI official stated: “Colleagues in DfI Roads have advised that they are aware of the damage caused to the harbour wall in Donaghadee during storms Babet and Ciaran and a work instruction has been issued to their contractor.
“However, as the damage is only cosmetic the repair has a lower priority in relation to other more serious safety related defects.”
The official went on to say the wall was inspected on June 17 to assess if the damage had deteriorated and were content that ‘the sea wall is safe, and with the exception of the one missing stone, no further work is required at this time’.
He stated that DFI Roads would continue to ‘inspect and monitor the sea wall periodically and carry out any necessary repairs as and when resources permit’.
