Council warned about delays in tackling the burning issue of Derry's bonfires

Derry City and Strabane District Council has been warned that it is running 'running out of time' after it failed to agree on a plan to address bonfires in the city.

It comes after a fresh row erupted over the issue at the full council meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council , during a discussion on the adoption of a ‘Bonfire Welfare & Action Plan’.

A working group had been making efforts for several months to establish a plan which would be agreeable to all parties.

The group was set up after a large bonfire was set up in the Bogside area last summer sparking safety concerns.

Bonfires are also regularly held in Derry's Fountain Estate as part of the 12th of July celebrations.

Councillors were previously told by Mark Deeney, Western District Commander with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, that bonfires had a ‘considerable’ impact on their resources.

Earlier this month, unionist parties withdrew their support from the working group.

They said that they had 'some concerns with the plan' at a meeting of the council’s Health and Community Committee.

Sinn Fein councillor Kevin Campbell asked council to accept the recommendations of the report and pass the action plan.

The independent councillor Paul Gallagher said that council should 'not accept it' and made a further proposal 'that the policy be adopted by Council with the intention that it will come into force on April 1, 2017'.

Cllr Gallagher told council that this would 'allow for consultation between council and will not come into effect unless there is cross party support'.

Cllr Gallagher said that 'a lot of work had been done on the plan on a cross party basis' and 'some very contentious issues are before the committee'.

He told council that getting community involvement in the plan would go some way to getting cross party support.

The SDLP’s Brian Tierney said that party representatives had met earlier in the day to try and work out a solution.

He continued that if every party did not back the amendment the plan would have to go to screening.

Cllr Tierney said that the issue was being 'pushed further and further down the road' and that council was 'running out of time' ahead of bonfire season.

He then proposed deferring the plan to allow council the opportunity to engage with all stakeholders.

Cllr Campbell then asked for a five-minute recess.

When council returned Cllr Tierney said that he was withdrawing his proposal to defer because he didn't feel it would do any good, and that the SDLP would be supporting Cllr Gallagher's proposal.

DUP Alderman Drew Thompson said that there were 'a number of issues and concerns' and said that council should work with communities to find 'agreeable methods'.

He continued that his party would be supporting the amendment as it gave an opportunity to consult the community and 'hopefully' reach an agreement.

Cllr Campbell recalled that he brought the issue to council nine months before and there was no bonfire plan in place.

He urged council to pass the policy, adding: “Let's get our sleeves rolled up and get action. If we continue to stall we'll end up with no policy, absolutely nothing.”

Independent councillor Gary Donnelly said that he also supported Cllr Gallagher’s amendment, and said that 'certain people wanted to railroad issues' with regards to bonfires.

He said that the plan would not work without 'buy in' from the community and that he looked forward to the day that the 'monstrosities' of bonfires were gone.

Sinn Fein Councillor Elisha McCallion accused Cllr Donnelly of being 'disingenuous' and said that community engagement was a key part of the plan.

She said that the issue 'needs leadership, and that is what we're providing'.

Cllr Gallagher's amendment was carried by a vote of 22 to 14 with the independent Unionist Alderman Maurice Devenney abstaining.