A councillor has called for the organisers of a bonfire site on a multi-million pound greenway in east Belfast to act responsibly in the lead up to the Eleventh night.
On Thursday morning, a bonfire pyre on the Connswater Greenway was over 60 pallets high and situated a short distance from terraced houses on Flora Street.
Scorch marks from last year’s bonfire were still visible on the grass while UVF flags were attached to a lamp post and a large amount of extra wooden material was stacked beside the houses.
Located close to a primary school and a leisure centre, the greenway is popular with walkers and cyclists and cost £40 million to develop.
In 2019, the nearby Avoniel Leisure Centre became a flashpoint when a bonfire was built in the car park.
Plans by the council to remove the material were called off after the appearance of threatening graffiti.
The Irish News understands that the organisers at Flora Street have committed to moving any additional material away from houses before the Eleventh night.
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Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers has urged those attending to put safety first.
“There are still a number of days left and there are a lot of people working away in the background to make sure the height of the bonfire and width is acceptable,” he said.
“The last thing we want is danger to individuals as well as property. In general, I would say things in that area normally pass off without incident.”
On the bonfire being held on a public greenway costing millions, he said: “Everyone has a responsibility to make sure things pass off peacefully. Those gathering the materials have to play their part to make sure there’s no difficulties or problems.
“We’ve worked hard as elected representatives on the problems in that area and long may that continue."
On the increased uptake of beacons as an alternative to bonfires across Belfast, he said: “A lot of people now feel that beacons are the way forward whereas others want an actual bonfire.
“I can understand where people are coming from but people must act within the law. The last thing I want to hear after the Eleventh night is that anyone has lost their life or has been seriously injured.
“There’s a lot of responsible people out there of all age groups, and I would be quietly confident that everything will go off without incident.”
A spokesperson for Belfast City Council said: “Belfast City Council’s approach to managing bonfires is led by elected members.
“A member-led decision-making process has been agreed to consider issues and make decisions on a site-by-site basis.
“We continue to engage with elected representatives and community representatives to minimise any potential negative impact of bonfires and associated anti-social behaviour on local residents, businesses, customers and property.”
