Rates ‘easement’ announced for flooded business
Above: Aerial view of the flooding in Strabane
Northern Irish businesses that fell victim to flooding earlier this week can apply for rates ‘easement’, NR can reveal.
Storm Desmond rattled the region over the weekend, with heavy downpours causing flooding in many western areas.
Businesses in counties L/Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh were among the worst hit and some 20 roads were closed. A large part of Strabane’s Lifford Road area was subsumed, as was the site for the controversial Three Rivers out-of-town retail park, which has been opposed by local traders.
Much of the area remains water-logged.
The flooding prompted calls from Northern Ireland’s Retail Trade Association for affected firms to be afforded rates relief while they got back on their feet.
Speaking to NR on Friday morning, a spokesperson for the Land and Property Services (LPS) has confirmed some rates “easement” will be “sympathetically” considered.
They said: “Where business ratepayers are struggling to make payments as a consequence of recent flooding, LPS will look at this sympathetically.
“Anyone in this position is eligible to apply for hardship rate relief to LPS and this will be assessed on the information provided.
“This is not a general compensation scheme, however, individual business ratepayers who are badly affected and are able to demonstrate financial hardship (in accordance with the scheme criteria) can be granted some easement in relation to payments.”
The LPS have published a factsheet and application form, which can be found here.
Meanwhile, NIIRTA’s chief executive Glyn Roberts has called on the NI Executive to set up an enquiry to learn what infrastructure investment is needed to prevent flooding in the future.
Questions have also been asked about the decision to grant the Three Rivers site planning permission in light of its vulnerability to flooding.
In a joint statement, Mr Roberts and Strabane Chamber of Commerce president Colm Gallagher said: “Over the last number of years, both our organisations repeatedly pointed out to the Minister and Planning Service that the Three Rivers out of town retail application was completely unsuitable for retail development given its threat to Strabane Town Centre and the fact that is located on a floodplain in the countryside.
“The flooding of the entire Three Rivers site proves our point.”
Responding, Mark H Durkan said: “I have previously made clear my reasons for granting outline planning permission for a comprehensive mixed use development on this site.
“I was fully aware that the site was outside the defined development limit of Strabane and also that it was located in a floodplain. The planning permission does require the implementation of adequate flood mitigation measures, if the development were to go ahead.”
