Ballymena riots: Council asks for Stormont help drawing up recovery plan
Ballymena’s local council is to write to Stormont asking for help drawing up a recovery plan dealing with the aftermath of last month’s riots.
A local authority has asked Stormont for help with a recovery plan after recent rioting in Co Antrim.
Several nights of violence erupted in the Co Antrim town after the alleged sexual assault of a girl.
Two 14-year-old boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, were charged with attempted rape.
An initial peaceful protest in Ballymena was followed by attacks on police and properties housing ethnic minorities, described by police as “racist thuggery”.
The disturbances lasted for several nights and spread to other areas of Northern Ireland, including an arson attack on Larne Leisure Centre after rumours that some fleeing Ballymena had sheltered in the facility.
At their first meeting since the violence, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council agreed to write to the First and Deputy First Ministers to ask for support to draw up a recovery plan.
Mayor Jackson Minford urged councillors to show leadership.
“Our ambition is that Mid and East Antrim would be a safe, inclusive and welcoming borough where diversity and cultural differences are celebrated and communities live in peace,” he said.
The council’s interim chief executive, Valerie Watts, proposed the development of a strategic reset plan to support long-term recovery.
“It is vital that we work closely with other public agencies and private sector stakeholders to develop and deliver a robust plan that will deal with inclusion, cohesion and rebuilding trust within our communities,” she said.
“Fundamentally, what is required is a strategic plan to help reset communities and move on, but also learn from what did take place.
“I think the plan should also address wider societal issues and policies such as immigration or housing policy or policies clearly ending violence against women and girls, race relations.”
She added: “The plan needs to be informed by and complement any existing peace building, community cohesion and socio-economic strategies and to ensure its success, the long-term commitment of all the relevant agencies and private sector stakeholders will be absolutely necessary.”
The council backed a proposal for her to write to First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly for support for the proposed plan.