Councillor raises concerns over illegal trading at Coleraine and Ballymoney Christmas lights switch-ons
A DUP councillor has voiced concerns around potential illegal trading at this year’s Christmas light switch-ons in Ballymoney and Coleraine.
At October’s Environmental Services Committee meeting, members were asked to approve road closures from 4pm to 10pm on November 20 and November 28, to facilitate the Christmas light switch-ons at Ballymoney and Coleraine respectively.
Councillor Tanya Elder seconded a proposal to approve the Road Closure Order and warned that, at both towns’ Christmas light switch-ons last year, there were “quite a lot of traders who were trading illegally”.
She added: “[They] just had come into Ballymoney and Coleraine, and they hadn’t applied for a licence or anything like it.
“With Halloween I imagine the same problem [could] occur, [so] if we could be mindful moving forward that perhaps there were officers available, just to to make sure that that doesn’t happen again.”
Director of Environmental Services, Aidan McPeake, assured Councillor Elder council would “get some cover” during Christmas and Halloween events.