Attempt to defer entire meeting agenda voted down by Council committee

Members at a local council have voted down an unusual request from a County Derry councillor to defer the entire contents of a committee meeting agenda.

The request came from DUP Alderman George Duddy to Cllr Chris McCaw, Chair of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council's Leisure and Development Committee on Tuesday.

Alderman Duddy made the proposal during discussion on the first agenda item – the approval of an Environmental Improvement scheme in Ballycastle, County Antrim.

“I'm not going to be the most popular person in here this evening. From start to finish, there is somewhere in the region of over a £200,000 spend,” he said.

“We haven't a clue yet as to how our rates-setting process is going to work out. We all sat at lastminute.com last year to work out our rates and where we could make savings.

“What we are doing every year is picking the easiest things to make savings. We know there are people out there struggling financially and we have no understanding of our rates-setting process.

Alderman George Duddy

“We need to be careful we are not adding to people's costs or burdening them when they are really struggling.

“There are programmes people have been fighting for to get started, but we have a greater responsibility to the rate-payer.”

Alderman Duddy's proposal to defer the decisions until after the rates-setting process was completed was met with opposition from Alderman Joan Baird, who said she was 'shell-shocked'.

“For me it's a bit of a sledge-hammer approach to what council's plans are,” she said.

“That is not what is required when we are in the middle of a crisis. What we need is a debate about what we are going to go forward with.

“There shouldn't be some sort of motion coming forward to silence or somehow stymie debate because we all have our views and that is why we are here.”

Alderman Baird proposed an amendment; that the Ballycastle EI scheme be approved, which was seconded by Cllr Cara McShane.

Alderman Adrian McQuillan

Alderman Adrian McQuillan then spoke in agreement with his DUP colleague.

“Cllr Duddy didn't say throw this out, he asked for it to be deferred,” he said.

“This was agreed at the Finance Committee that we had to take the difficult decisions before the rates-setting process.

“Were we not tasked to make sure the rate-payer gets value for money? That's what we are trying to do on this side of the chamber.

“Something has to give folks. You can't have your cake and eat it Mr Chairman, you cannot.”

Councillors then voted on the proposal, with nine voting in favour, six against and no abstentions.

A similar impasse was navigated on the next item – the approval of the one-year extension to the Go For It business support programme.

Co Derry dentist plagued by dog fouling as litter scheme issues no fines in the town

The Council say they have now increased patrols in the area.

Alderman McQuillan proposed that the funding did not go ahead, necessitating the holding of another vote.

Councillors voted in favour of approving the programme by nine votes to one, with four abstentions, including Alderman Duddy.

No objections were raised to the Festive Fund for Christmas events.

All the decisions will now go forward to the full Council meeting for ratification.