Bonfire management meeting put back until September by Mid and East Antrim Council

The meeting had been due to take place behind closed doors at The Braid in Ballymena on Wednesday. However, following a proposal by the TUV, seconded by the UUP, it has been postponed.

Bonfire management was not on the agenda at this month’s meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council after being deferred at meetings each month since January. It had been listed in April for discussion in confidence when councillors were reminded the matter had been deferred at a number of meetings previously.

On the proposal of Coast Road Alliance Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna and seconded by Coast Road Sinn Fein Councillor James McKeown, it was agreed this item be deferred until the full council meeting in June but it was not scheduled.

The item had been listed on the council agenda in February and March for discussion behind closed doors under legal and confidential matters with a report to follow after it was put back in January. No further full council meetings are scheduled before the Twelfth.

Bonfire management has been highlighted in the borough following the death of Larne man John Steele after a fall from the Antiville bonfire in the town last July. Mr Steele, who was in his 30s, and a father-of-two died while helping with the building of the bonfire on July 9.

No bonfire is under construction on this site at present. Last July, the bonfire in Larne’s adjacent Craigyhill estate unofficially beat the record for the world’s tallest bonfire.

In a statement, Knockagh Alliance Councillor Aaron Skinner said: “It is unbelievable Unionist councillors on the council voted to defer a special meeting designed to adopt legal advice regarding construction of bonfires on council land.”

Entire Purpose

Cllr Skinner said that the decision “defeated the entire purpose of the meeting”. The statement added: “Alliance supports safe and respectful expressions of culture. However, what we’re seeing in some areas of Mid and East Antrim, particularly on council land, is not that and goes against legal recommendations previously recommended to councillors.

“As a group, we have a duty to ensure the safety of all residents. That’s why the special meeting was called tonight (Wednesday). We have already seen tragedy strike locally last year, with the sad death of John Steele at a bonfire site. The absolute last thing anyone wants to see is a repeat of that heart-breaking event.

“We do not want to see bonfires removed entirely but they must be safe and respectful. We welcome some local bonfires committing to being on the council’s bonfire scheme and some have opted to reduce the scale of fires or opt for beacons, and we want to build on that.

“It is vital the legal recommendations presented to council are adopted, so going forward we will be able to engage with local communities about a safe way forward which enables the celebration of culture in a way which doesn’t put anyone at risk.”

Mid and East Antrim Council did not comment on the issue.

An open letter on a ‘Craigyhill bonfire and cultural’ social media page stated recently: “We consider ourselves and many others in our cultural tradition expert bonfire builders with a lifetime of experience doing so.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter