Call for Stormont to set up unit tackling coastal flooding and erosion

Call for Stormont to set up unit tackling coastal flooding and erosion Irish coastlines face severe threats primarily from coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and frequent storms View Image Coastal path from Skippingstone Beach to Bangor Marina (Image: Ards and North Down Borough Council) The Northern Ireland council with the longest stretch of coastline is calling upon Stormont to set up a designated unit to tackle the intensifying problems of coastal flooding and erosion. ‌ A committee at Ards North Down Borough Council has agreed to a cross-party motion, signed by two DUP members, two UUP members, and two Alliance Party members, to establish a dedicated coastal protection and resilience fund to support councils and relevant agencies. The decision will go to the full council meeting later this month where it is expected to pass. ‌ Elected representatives say they support 'efforts to ensure that coastal communities are adequately protected from flooding, coastal erosion and other environmental pressures.' ‌ READ MORE: NI Council to provide chess and draughts sets for people to play in town square READ MORE: "Girls Just Wanna Walk Home" mural unveiled in Co Down for women's safety Irish coastlines face severe threats primarily from coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and frequent storms driven by climate change. Net sea levels rise by about 3 millimeters per year near Belfast, with a 94-centimeter rise expected by 2100. ‌ Around 2,720 households in Northern Ireland are at risk of coastal flooding, with risks by the 2080s expected to be over fives times the rate they are now. Ards and North Down Council is calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to designate an agency with statutory responsibility for coastal flooding erosion, to 'clarify' its relationship with councils in this regard, and deliver 'improved intelligence, monitoring and protection.' They want Stormont to introduce a framework for long-term coastal planning, such as Shoreline Management Plans or a Northern Ireland equivalent, and to establish a dedicated fund. They want proposals, within a defined timeframe, to address governance, funding, and delivery . ‌ The council agreed to write to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, and relevant Executive Ministers, outlining this position, and to engage with the Northern Ireland Local Government Association and other coastal councils to seek a coordinated approach to this issue. The motion states that the council notes the publication of the third Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme, an action plan launched in March 2026, by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. It says there is a 'need for practical measures' to address coastal erosion, flooding and infrastructure resilience in Northern Ireland. It states: 'Coastal councils, including Ards and North Down Borough Council, are increasingly exposed to the impacts of coastal change, while lacking the statutory powers and resources to respond effectively. Ards and North Down has the longest coastline of any council area in Northern Ireland and is therefore particularly affected by these risks. ‌ 'The coast and coastal walks are arguably the 'jewel in the crown' of our community and tourism assets. There is increasing evidence of coastal impacts within the borough, including flooding, storm damage, and pressure on public infrastructure.' The Deputy Mayor of Ards and North Down Borough, DUP Councillor James Cochrane told the chamber at the committee meeting: 'Stormont needs to get to grips with coastal erosion in Northern Ireland. This is not going away. 'Our coastline is under increasing pressure, yet responsibility for dealing with coastal erosion remains fragmented, and inadequate for the scale of the challenge. This is particularly concerning for Ards and North Down, as we have the largest stretch of coastline of any in Northern Ireland, making us particularly vulnerable to erosion, and the damage it can cause to our communities and infrastructure. ‌ 'Our coastal walks, beaches and harbours are central to our tourism economy, and a huge part of what makes this borough such a fantastic place to live. But that asset has to be properly managed and protected. 'At present, responsibility is effectively split between the Department for Infrastructure and DAERA. That creates a simple question: who is actually responsible for coastal erosion? 'Who monitors the risks, who identifies where intervention is needed? And who ensures what action is taken before infrastructure fails? ‌ 'I believe Northern Ireland needs to see a single statutory body, with clear responsibility for coastal erosion and coastal management. Councils should remain central to that process, because we are closest to the communities affected. 'Councils cannot reasonably be expected to tackle major coastal erosion when we lack the statutory powers, specialist expertise, and financial resources to deliver major protection works.' ‌ He added: 'The experience of my own district electoral area demonstrates why this matters. Only recently in this chamber I was talking about the issue of Donaghadee and the seawall partially collapsing. I find it extremely difficult to accept that critical coastal infrastructure should have been allowed to deteriorate to that extent.' Debates and issues concerning coastal erosion at Ards and North Down Borough Council are many and frequent. Earlier this year questions were raised over who has responsibility for a decaying stretch of coastal path on a section of Station Road, Craigavad on the North Down coastal path, between Cultra and Helen's Bay. At the January meeting of the council's Environment Committee, councillors unanimously agreed to an Alliance motion which 'notes with concern the signs of erosion which have arisen on Station Road, Craigavad in recent years' and recognises the road 'is an integral section of the North Down coastal path and the Ulster Way.' Article continues below Councillors voted to 'reassess whether it has responsibility for maintaining the road and for strengthening the sea wall and sea defences along the North Down coastal path section of Station Road.' For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.