Belfast Council probes Bobby Sands statue over potential planning breach - no application was even filed, say officials
Belfast officials are checking whether a statue of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands was built without planning permission.
The city's council says no planning application was filed for the monument, which was unveiled on Sunday (4th) in a ceremony attended by a host of senior Sinn Fein figures, including First Minister Michelle O’Neill and the party’s former president Gerry Adams.
The statue of the IRA hunger striker was erected at a republican memorial garden on Gardenmore Road in the Twinbrook area of west Belfast, to mark the 44th anniversary of Sands’ death.
Today (7th) the council stated it had not received a planning application for the sculpture and is investigating the matter.
A Belfast City Council spokesman said: “Planning permission is normally required for outdoor public artworks, including sculptures and statues that are being installed on a long-term or permanent basis.
“As the council has not received a planning application for this statue to date, it is investigating the matter and cannot comment further at this time.”
Asked how long the probe was likely to take, the spokesman told the News Letter: “The Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 provides the statutory basis for most planning enforcement matters.
“The length of an investigation can vary, depending on the specific circumstances of the case.”
Information provided on the council’s website states that when a breach of planning legislation is found, options available to officials are:
- give the people responsible 28 days to to submit a retrospective planning application
- tell them to put things back the way they were, which in this case would mean removing or demolishing the statue of Sands
- negotiate with the people behind the at-fault development and try to hammer out a compromise deal.
In this case, it’s yet to be decided whether or not a breach took place, and former Sinn Fein MP Francie Molloy has argued that since the statue was built in a republican commemorative garden, it’s unlikely any locals will lodge official planning complaints about it.
The party has sought to distance itself from the planning row, however, telling the BBC those concerns are “a matter for the organising committee”.
After visiting the statue on Sunday, First Minister Michelle O’Neill stated on social media site X, formerly Twitter: “I was honoured to speak with members of the community who helped make this powerful tribute a reality.
“Bobby’s life and sacrifice continues to inspire people here in Ireland and across the world in pursuit of freedom and justice.
“I will continue to work to build a new and united Ireland for everyone who calls this island home.”
Sands died on May 5, 1981, during a hunger strike over the removal of political status from paramilitary prisoners, meaning they were regarded as criminals.
The officer commanding of the IRA inside the Maze prison, Sands was serving a 14-year stretch for his part in the bombing of a Dunmurry furniture store that ended in a gun battle with the police.
The father-of-one had been elected as MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone less than a month before his death. Nine other republican prisoners died during the hunger strike.