Ministers visit as pilot seeks to make Newry city centre more flood resilient
The Economy Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, visited Newry yesterday to inspect a pilot scheme intended to protect local businesses from future flooding. The minister was accompanied by the Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, as they met representatives of the Newry Business Improvement District (BID), local traders and the contractors delivering the works.
The project follows substantial localised flooding in October and November 2023, after which the Department for the Economy provided more than £5 million in targeted support to hundreds of businesses across South Down and Armagh. In 2026, the department committed a further £300,000 to fund a pilot scheme to install flood-protection measures across Newry city centre.
A collective approach to protection
The pilot uses a collective model, installing measures through adjoining properties to create a continuous barrier rather than piecemeal defences. The intent is to build a seamless defence line that strengthens local resilience against future flood events, protecting premises and reducing the likelihood of repeated disruption to trade.
- Funding so far: £300,000 for the pilot in 2026, building on the post-2023 package of >£5m.
- Scope: the pilot will help protect 30 business properties in Newry city centre.
- Partners: Departments for the Economy and Infrastructure, Newry BID, local businesses and contractors.
Speaking after the visit, the Economy Minister emphasised the scheme’s fit with departmental priorities for local economic resilience. "Supporting resilient, sustainable businesses is key to my economic vision and essential to building strong local economies," she said. She added the pilot will both protect specific premises and help test a new approach to preventative flood interventions for businesses and communities.
"This £300,000 flood protection pilot will help protect 30 business properties from future flooding while testing a new approach to preventative flood interventions for businesses and communities in the years ahead."
Local BID welcomes partnership support
Eamonn Connolly, Managing Director of Newry BID, welcomed the ministers’ involvement and the targeted assistance being provided to businesses in the city centre. He described the 2023 floods as having caused serious harm to the city’s trading environment and said the new protections will be "invaluable to the local business community." The BID has been instrumental in forming a Flood Resilience Group to co-ordinate the grants and the local elements of the pilot.
The piloted measures are intentionally collaborative: working across neighbouring shops and premises to ensure defences are not undermined by gaps or inconsistent protection. Officials say this approach will allow practitioners and ministers to evaluate whether a collective, property-to-property strategy is practicable and cost-effective before considering wider roll-out.
Cross-departmental working and next steps
Ministers pointed to the value of cross-government working on the pilot, with the Departments for the Economy and Infrastructure combining funding, expertise and operational experience. The partnership aims to ensure the pilot benefits from both economic-support mechanisms and technical infrastructure advice.
Officials have not set out a timetable for completing the pilot works beyond the confirmation of the 2026 funding. The evaluation is likely to consider how well the collective interventions prevent damage, the cost per property protected and lessons for other town centres that faced disruption during the 2023 flooding events.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Post-2023 support | More than £5 million to businesses in South Down and Armagh |
| 2026 pilot funding | £300,000 to install measures in Newry city centre |
| Properties covered (pilot) | 30 business properties |
For Newry’s trading community the pilot represents both immediate practical support and a test case for a longer-term strategy to cope with the increasing risks from climate-related weather events. How well the scheme performs in practice will be watched closely by other towns that suffered similar damage during the 2023 floods.
