Causeway Coast and Glens Council to press Minister for Kilrea bridge closure compensation for businesses

In late September, DfI announced the closure, due to concerns around the structural stability of a retaining wall approaching the bridge.

During a deputation to members at October’s Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council meeting, Sinn Féin councillor Sean Bateson said the closure was having a “massive impact” on residents and local businesses.

He added: “Obviously it had to be closed because of safety concerns around the bridge itself but the longer this goes on, the bigger the impact was going to have locally.”

A DfI spokesperson said specialist contractors had visited the bridge to “see what potential measures could be brought in”.

“Our aim is really to try and get the bridge open as quickly as we can,” they said. “This is probably going to be a temporary measure, but I can assure you that our staff are working at pace to try and get some sort of solution in place, because I do realise there’s a big impact on the local community, particularly in Kilrea.

“The temporary solution is likely to involve tie bars going across the road, to pull the bridge and stop the retaining rope from cracking any further.

“[The specialists] have done this type of work before in other areas, and it is something we feel could buy us the time to get the bridge open and then we can look at a more permanent solution.”

Councillor Bateson warned the closure would continue to negatively affect schools, families, and businesses if it “drags on further”, and enquired about possible compensatory packages for affected businesses.

The spokesperson said DfI were “talking about weeks rather than months” in regards to “getting a solution in place”.

They added: “Normally compensation isn’t issued in these cases, the department doesn’t have the remit to do that, but if you think there was a strong case to be made then maybe it would be made directly to the minister.

“The department does [also] intend to have a dedicated webpage just for local residents, just to update on Kilrea Bridge. That is being prepared at the moment.”

UUP Councillor Richard Holmes said DfI’s communication around the closure had been “poor” and proposed that council write to the department about a compensation scheme.

He said: “There are rumours flying around the town that this bridge may be closed for a year to give you time to investigate and then fix it, and the businesses are finding it very, very difficult.

“One business I was in with at lunchtime said they would normally have to have 50, 60 people through the door at that stage [and] they hadn’t even had ten that day.

“Another business saw 60% turnover down, and businesses in a small town will not survive.

“They’re saying [they] can plan around it, but they don’t know if it’s a two-week thing, a four-week thing, [or if] it’s through to mid-November. It’s just decimating businesses; the least I’ve heard is 25% down and the worst I’ve heard is 60&.”