THE High Court injunction to prevent further material being dumped at four bonfire sites in east Belfast marks an unprecedented change of direction for Belfast City Council.
The authority has been faced criticism since The Irish News revealed it had been storing material for loyalist pyres at ratepayers' expense.
The annual chaos surrounding some bonfire sites has undoubtedly been placing pressure on officials at a time when public services are being subjected to cuts.
Bonfires will always be part of loyalist culture and tradition.
Well-managed fires and festivals have helped dramatically reduce problems at interface areas in recent years.
However, the enormous scale of bonfires some areas - where collecting has been underway since early spring - has caused major concerns for local businesses and residents.
The injunction granted to the council is a civil order and will not mean police or council officials clearing sites and arresting bonfire builders.
It will, however, mean that those who transport material in commercial vans or privately-owned vehicles could be prosecuted for breaching the order.
Details of people involved in building and even lighting the fires can also be gathered, making them liable for prosecution at a later date.
In the long term the injunction could even signal the end of bonfires at all four council-owned sites in east Belfast.
And if effective, injunctions could be sought by owners of other land housing controversial bonfire sites across Northern Ireland.
To challenge the order requires someone coming forward to be named, and to do that would leave that person potentially liable for costs and any criminal activity at that site.
In short, Belfast City Council appears to have come up with an approach that could curb the problem of large-scale bonfires in future.
As we enter into the potentially volatile Twelfth week, how loyalists react to the injunction will determine how successful this unexpected move will prove.
