Councillors are worried children in Comber will try to cross River Enler on fallen trees
A call has been made for trees in County Down that were felled into a river by the notorious Storm Eowyn to be lifted, over a year after the event.
Elected representatives at Ards and North Down Borough Council have said fallen trees over the Enler River, Comber, are presenting a health and safety problem and present “an accident waiting to happen,” with children attempting to treat the deadfall as a bridge across the water.
Councillors have agreed at committee level to ask officials to “engage with other statutory agencies” and safely remove the fallen trees over the Enler River, which have been there for 14 months since Storm Eowyn. Uncertainty appears to remain as to what branch of government is exactly responsible for addressing the problem, and also who owns the land in question.
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The motion, which was agreed at the March meeting of the council’s Environment Committee, still has to go to the full council meeting next week for ratification, where it is expected to pass.
Storm Éowyn, named after a JRR Tolkien character, occurred on January 21, 2025. It was a highly destructive windstorm affecting Ireland and Britain, bringing 100mph gusts and stronger, and causing over one million power outages. The storm caused a fatality in County Donegal, created havoc across the natural world, particularly with trees, tore roofs off buildings, and caused severe travel disruption. It is believed to have been the most severe storm in Northern Ireland since 1998.
At the Ards North Down council meeting, DUP Councillor Libby Douglas, who forwarded the motion, said: “Storm Eowyn, as we all know, caused damage to the roof at Bangor Aurora Leisure Complex, extensive tree damage in parks, and widespread debris that forced closure of roads and closed some of our cemeteries.
“Along the Enler River in Comber, several trees fell across the river bank, into fencing for social housing at Newtown Green. I have been contacted by many constituents who walk along this stretch with their dogs, and families with their children. It is also an area that young people use to get access to the skate park.
“Requests have been made to statutory agencies including the Rivers Agency at DfI, and Apex Housing, but no-one will take responsibility for having the trees removed.”
She said: “The worry is these trees stretch from one bank to the other, and they present a dangerous temptation to children and young people to try and climb onto the trees, to see how far across the river they can go. I worry this is an accident waiting to happen and young people will end up in the River Enler. I also believe it is a security issue for the people in Newtown Green, as some of the fencing has been damaged.”
She added: “The brighter evenings mean that young people will be around this area on a more frequent basis, and so the problem needs to be sorted sooner rather than later.”
DUP Alderman Trevor Cummings said: “It is a health and safety issue now, and is very concerning. It is being raised (to me) by parents on a regular basis. It runs parallel to the Comber Greenway, a frequently used path, so accessibility is all too easy for children and young people.
“Essentially what we are looking for here is a coordinated response. Many of us have approached each department. The principle of community planning lies right at the core of local government, and I believe we are best placed to approach departments in a coordinated fashion to ask for their assistance.”
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