Devenney’s praise for action to fix 18 year old Newbuildings flooding issue

The Sentinel recently reported how Jean O’Donnell had to make re-arrangements for her four primary school age grandchildren to go elsewhere after school after several inches of water lay outside her home all day.

Two weeks later DUP Alderman for the area says Roads Service has made good on the promise to follow-up the problem which has been an issue for nearly 20 years.

He said: “They have done a lot of work in Ballyore Drive and I would like to thank them for coming out and resolving the flooding issue which has been going on for the past 18 years.

“They were there for two or three days and I can only commend them for the efforts they’ve made to try and get the flooding issues sorted. Hopefully, this has remedied the situation for good.”

Roads Service previously advised how the problem had been caused by a badly damaged pipe.

“There was a pipe in this area that was badly damaged in several places by other utilities,” a spokeswoman said.

Roads Service has now carried out the essential repair work required to resolve the problem.

But despite praising Roads Service for its resolution of the Ballyore flooding Alderman Devenney made a separate call for the body to re-consider its policy of not gritting Primity Crescent in Newbuildings despite its winter service policy of gritting bus routes.

During the Christmas cold snap Roads Service said it could not grit the close despite a number of bus stops there.

Roads Service counts a single bus as 40 vehicles when judging which roads to grit.

Alderman Maurice Devenney said it should reconsider its criteria for gritting routes as there are two or three bus stops in Primity Crescent and a lot of elderly people living in the area.

Said Alderman Devenney: “There is the ongoing issue of Primity Crescent not being gritted. There are a lot of pensioners’ bungalows there and two or three bus stops.

“Why is it not being gritted if Roads Service’s policy is to grit bus routes?” he asked. “People felt cocooned in their homes during the winter cold snap and I would urge Roads Service to reconsider their criteria.”