Newtownabbey gears up for the glorious Twelfth

Thirteen sites across Newtownabbey will be hosting a range of activities from bouncy castles and pony rides to fireworks and musical entertainment as the Eleventh and Twelfth festivities get into full swing. Community representatives have developed their own programme of events for each site and are looking forward to entertaining families in the lead up to the Twelfth.

Newtownabbey Borough Council is supporting the family fun events in recognition of the commitment which has been made to implement this year's bonfire regulations.

Hugh Kelly, its Director of Environmental Services, commented on the efforts which have been made to remove tyres and other inappropriate material from the sites and commended the bonfire builders for their co-operation.

"This year has seen a significant level of joint working between the council, community representatives and the bonfire builders. We have agreed the removal of material and clean-ups across the borough as well as responding positively to concerns and queries from the public. We hope this year is a great success and look forward to building on it for future programmes."

A range of partners have been involved in this year's programme including the NI Fire and Rescue Service, NI Housing Executive, PSNI and NEELB. All the partners recognise the benefits of the protocol, including a safe and fun-filled celebration, a reduction in environmental damage and a reduced risk to residents and property.

The Housing Executive owns the majority of the bonfire sites and Newtownabbey 1 District Manager, Sharon Crooks, commented: "The Housing Executive welcomes the participation of local communities in the council's Bonfire Protocol. Through local engagement, the protocol aims to ensure that bonfires, which are traditional events in many housing areas, are managed safely and the Housing Executive fully supports the council on this."

During the council's recent Development Committee meeting, Deputy Mayor Tommy Kirkham said that community representatives around the borough had been involved in a total of 900 hours of talks and negotiations in a bid to make the Bonfire Protocol initiative a success.

Despite concerns being raised by members about stolen pallets turning up on some bonfire sites and the possibility that tyres could appear on bonfires at the last minute, alderman Kirkham said he was confident that there would be "minimum disruption compared to previous years."

The success or otherwise of the council's new bonfires policy will be assessed during a review process in August.

For full details of all the events and family fun days taking place around the borough over the Twelfth of July holiday see this week's Times...