New name is agreed for new supercouncil

Banbridge Civic Buildings, Banbridge District Council.

After considerable debate, elected members decided unanimously on the name at last Thursday’s Shadow Council meeting.

It was also decided that the new body should have borough status, achieved by petitioning the Secretary of State for the grant of a charter, which will entitle a council to appoint a mayor, designate aldermen and award freedom of the borough.

The next step is to move forward with the branding of the new council. Work will be prioritised with the emphasis on examples such as headed paper, invoices, planning notices .

There will be a phased implementation of the new brand in the next number of months. The process of establishing the new council will be ongoing.

Councillor Jim Speers, the Ulster Unionist group leader of the new council, welcomed the name.

“A lot of effort went into getting a consensus on the name of the new council. In the interest of a proper working relationship and to help usher in a new era, a tremendous effort was made to achieve consensus on this issue by bringing everyone on board,” he said.