More compensation for home owners?
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Flashback - August 17, 2008! The severe flash flooding at Toome Road/Antrim Road in Ballymena which left home owners out of pocket.
North Antrim MLA, Ian Paisley Junior, has claimed that the recently constructed car park beside the business development park off the Antrim Road in Ballymena does not meet regulation building control levels.
The DUP man said that as a result of the car park being built the flood plain had been removed at the Wakehurst location - and this caused major problems during the fierce flash flooding at the end of August.
News of the alleged blunder came to light at a recent meeting in the DUP offices in Church Street, attended by Mr. Paisley and DUP Councillors Tommy Nicholl, Martin Clarke, Beth Adger, Deirdre Nelson and Hubert Nicholl.
Also present were some residents from the Toome Road/Antrim Road area, whose homes were wrecked by the flooding, and representatives from the Roads Service and Rivers Agency. The meeting had been called to hear findings following an investigating into the August flash flooding. Mr. Paisley told the Guardian after the meeting that it had been confirmed that because of negligence the flood may have impacted on some of the houses along the Antrim Road.
“This is astonishing news. The Roads Service has provided us with their original advice to the Planning Service indicating the construction levels that the car park ought to have observed," he said.
“They have subsequently measured the levels and found that the car park needs to be rebuilt to comply with the advice and flood plain requirements."
The DUP councillors will now seek an investigation into where the negligence rests.
MLA, Mr. Paisley, said the news will have a profound impact on residents in the area.
“More compensation could be available to those who have lost so much and been put through such misery," he said.
Mr. Paisley said that a flood expert will be in Northern Ireland this week. Councillors are arranging for a presentation to be made to residents about work that can be done to prevent future flooding.
