Opinion

Bonfire licensing scheme a move forward

Contentious bonfires are a fraught issue over the summer months but the height of the marching season is generally recognised as not the most auspicious time to tackle a problem that raises community tensions.

It makes much more sense to draw up policies and agree initiatives during quieter periods when there is less risk of people cranking up the issue for their own purposes.

A range of measures have been tried over the years to reduce the scale of bonfires, offensive displays and the threat to property, with varying degrees of success.

Last summer saw some alarming examples of towering pyres that resulted in damage to homes, the most disturbing being the bonfire at Sandy Row, heat from which was so intense it cracked windows in a nearby apartment block.

Thanks to the quick actions of the fire service, the building was saved but this was a terrifying experience for residents and came just weeks after the Grenfell Tower disaster.

As well as the enormous pyres situated close to buildings, there are additional problems with regard to the placing of flags, effigies and offensive messages on bonfires while the burning of toxic materials presents an environmental hazard.

Last week unionists in Belfast produced their own report on how to deal with bonfires but failed to mention the role of loyalist paramilitaries at some events, which was a curious omission.

There are a small number of bonfires in nationalist areas marking the anniversary of internment but these are not widely supported in the local community.

In 2016, the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition was set up under the Fresh Start agreement and although some draft proposals have been leaked, it is unlikely the final report will be published in the absence of a Stormont executive.

Against this background, Mid Ulster District Council's plan for a bonfire licensing scheme has to be viewed with considerable interest.

Ensuring all bonfires are safe, well organised, environmentally responsible and free from insulting displays, should be the goal of all elected representatives and government bodies.