Flooding motion scheduled for debate next week

THE Northern Ireland Assembly has formally accepted a motion brought forward by South Antrim UUP MLA Steve Aiken regarding persistent flooding concerns along the Six Mile Water.

The motion has been scheduled for debate on 17 February.

Dr Aiken has repeatedly raised the issue within the Assembly, highlighting the severe and ongoing impact of flooding on communities in Antrim, Ballyclare, Muckamore, Dunadry and surrounding areas.

His motion calls for a coordinated, cross departmental effort to deliver long-term, sustainable solutions.

In recent years, the Six Mile Water corridor has experienced frequent and increasingly severe flooding events, placing homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure at risk.

Local residents’ groups have consistently voiced concerns about road closures, property damage and the lack of timely remedial action.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Dr Aiken emphasised the urgency of the issue, stating that communities ‘cannot continue to endure the anxiety and disruption caused by recurrent flooding’ and that government agencies must ‘work at pace to protect households and restore confidence’.