Council back bonfire pallet probe

The PSNI said last month that it was investigating the alleged theft of pallets from council land in Belfast. Belfast City Council also confirmed at that time that the pallets were related to bonfire sites on Chobham Street (walkway) and Hope Street (Sandy Row).

The council’s strategic policy committee agreed in June that the storage of as many as 3,000 pallets by the council should be investigated following a proposal by Alliance Party Councillor Michael Long.

During a full council meeting last night, councillors ratified the comittee’s decision.

Originally, discussion of the bonfire investigation proposals was to effectively be held in ‘committee’, meaning the general public and the press were to be excluded from the chamber.

However, Sinn Féin Councillor Jim McVeigh proposed the item be discussed in public. After a recorded vote, despite a number of objections, Councillor McVeigh’s proposal to hold the debate in full view of the press and public was agreed.

Councillor McVeigh proposed terms of reference for the investigation.

He said: “Let’s call a spade a spade. As far as we are concerned, bonfires are not culture, they are anti-culture. Bonfires not only poison our environment - and this is any bonfire regardless of what part of the city, regardless of the cause - but they also poison minds. It is time to face up to the very real issues taht these bonfires cause.”

He added that was a discussion “for another day” before proposing terms of reference for the investigation.

He said the “disastrous” decision to remove and store with the intention of returning the pallets had “damaged the reputation” of the council.

The DUP said that they supported the investigation but stressed that they believe the council did nothing wrong.

DUP councillor Lee Reynolds said: “They were trying to operate in a difficult situation to deliver the best for the city.

“I will being willing to back officers who approached a problem that way and tried to deliver the best for the city”.