Northern Ireland

Council to appoint bonfire consultants

A flag on a bonfire in Coleraine last year highlighted the extent of unionist anger across Northern Ireland to Mid Ulster Council's attempts to regulate bonfires
A flag on a bonfire in Coleraine last year highlighted the extent of unionist anger across Northern Ireland to Mid Ulster Council's attempts to regulate bonfires A flag on a bonfire in Coleraine last year highlighted the extent of unionist anger across Northern Ireland to Mid Ulster Council's attempts to regulate bonfires

A COUNCIL behind controversial plans to clamp down on bonfires is to appoint consultants to deal with pyre builders.

Mid Ulster District Council last year revealed plans to introduce a licensing scheme for bonfires located on land it controls.

The move sparked an angry response from some unionists and resulted in posters and flags opposing the council being put up in unionist areas.

It is believed to be the first time any council in the north has attempted to regulate bonfires through such a scheme.

The council policy has now been broadened to include all community events held on council land.

The new policy includes “conditions of land use, which set out the minimum requirements for safe, well-managed events, spanning risk assessments, event management plans, insurances and good relations issues".

A council spokeswoman last night said: “Specific conditions are included for bonfires, with site safety, size of fires, distance from homes, materials to be burned and safeguarding among them.”

The spokeswoman added that an “associated action plan will be developed following further community engagement”.

“This will include the appointment of a community advisor to consult with local communities and help identify measures which will aid groups to meet the aims of the policy,” she said.

Ulster Unionist councillor Walter Cuddy has urged the council to work with bonfire builders.

“We have to bring the small group of bonfire builders on board,” he said.

“The last thing we want to do is criminalise and alienate.

“Love them or hate them, you have to be able to work with everybody within the community.”

Read more: 

West Belfast bonfire under construction – in April