Antrim and Newtownabbey Council approves bonfire safety programme for 2026 with request to amend terms defeated
Antrim and Newtownabbey councillors declined a request to review terms and conditions of the council’s bonfire safety programme, at a Community Development Committee meeting on Monday.
Last September, the committee backed a Sinn Fein proposal that sanctions should be imposed on community groups that breached the terms and conditions before a U-turn, later that month, when the full council overturned the decision to impose financial penalties for flag burning incidents and the presence of asbestos and agreed the existing programme would remain in place.
A report to the committee at the time showed asbestos was found by a contractor in bonfire remains at the Neillsbrook site in Randalstown and “urgent removal” had to be arranged.
As a result, it was recommended by council officers that Neillsbrook had funding for participation in the bonfire management programme reduced in 2026.
The report also stated PSNI neighbourhood officers reported that Irish flags and others were burned at a number of bonfire sites in the borough which were described as “hate crimes”.
Flags were burned at four bonfire sites – Neillsbrook where two Irish flags were set alight; Doonbeg in the Rathcoole estate where three Irish flags were burned; Rathmullan Drive, Rathcoole, where an EU flag was burned and Ballycraigy, in Antrim, where a flag representing four Irish provinces was burned. All sites were participating in the council’s bonfire management programme.
As part of the programme, groups are banned from erecting/displaying racist, sectarian or paramilitary paraphernalia such as flags, emblems, effigies on or in the vicinity of the bonfire site, or in the vicinity of any activities associated with this programme.
If there is a breach of terms and conditions, a group will be given three days to address the issue. Failure to do so can result in a reduction in funding.
Funding Conditions
Speaking at Monday’s meeting, Antrim DUP Councillor Paul Dunlop BEM proposed approving a recommendation to agree the 2026 bonfire management programme, including governance, funding conditions and the estimated budget of £171,000. His proposal was seconded by party colleague Macedon Cllr Matthew Brady.
Dunsilly Alliance Cllr Jay Burbank proposed an amendment to the wording of the terms and conditions in relation to sanctions for non-compliance be changed from ‘may’ to ‘will’.
Terms and conditions state: “Failure to comply with the terms and conditions may result in a reduction in funding applied either within the current year or the following year as appropriate. The level of reduction will be determined by the council on a case-by-case basis.”
Cllr Burbank’s proposal was seconded by Macedon Sinn Fein Cllr Taylor McGrann. Following a tied vote, with seven councillors in favour and seven, against, the proposal fell after a deciding vote by committee chair Dunsilly Ulster Unionist Cllr Stewart Wilson, against. A vote on the proposal by Cllr Dunlop was then carried by ten members in favour and four abstentions.
Airport Sinn FeinCllr Ní Chonghaile said: “I thought Cllr Burbank’s suggestion was quite responsible from a corporate organisation perspective.”
She went on to say that “not withstanding progress of the programme”, it would have been “an extra layer of safeguarding for this year”.
Ursula Fay, director of community and culture, said officers will “continue to do what they do to achieve significant improvement over time, engaging very closely with the groups involved, delivering sessions about how to be responsible in relation to cultural celebrations and working closely with statutory bodies – PSNI, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and Housing Executive and carry out inspections from collection of materials to lighting of bonfires”.
Applications will open online on April 2 for this year’s programme. Site inspections, will be carried out by council officers and statutory partners. These will take place on Thursday 14 May, a pre-collection inspection (council officer only); first inspection, Friday 29 May; second inspection, Friday 19 June; final inspection, Friday 10 July; family fun event visits, Saturday 11 July.
Cllr Wilson indicated Neillsbrook bonfire builders have been liaising with council officers already this year.
Threemilewater Ulster Unionist Cllr Stephen Cosgrove stated: “There is no doubt that the council has made continuous strides to work with communities.”
He remarked that it is “rogue people who at the eleventh hour do something they should not be doing”.
“To have a punitive approach does not help anybody. We need to work with, not work against, the community groups, ultimately.”
Cllr Brady commented that the bonfire management programme is about responsible engagement with communities, supporting environmental concerns and family events and he highlighted the work of the statutory partners, which he said, can “stand over how well these sites are looked after”.
Cllr Burbank said he did not think the policy should be “set in stone”.
Threemilewater Alliance Cllr Julie Gilmour said there are bonfires and groups in her District Electoral Area, which she described as ” a model of good practice and make sure the event has a family friendly focus and is welcoming to everybody”.
She went on to say officers are aware, however, there are still issues relating to the burning of flags elsewhere. “I do think members need to look at this policy going forward,” Cllr Gilmour stated.
Threemilewater DUP Cllr Mark Cooper BEM, who is not a committee member, but had speaking rights, commented: “I always look at this in view that if all 26 bonfire programme sites pulled away from this programme, what does that look like for our borough and our communities?”
He said he believed one of the flags in question was removed from a bonfire last year following community engagement.
“I would recommend that when things are reported as a hate crime, it needs to go through to the right people and that is the police,” he added.
A committee report stated that in 2025, the council “supported the delivery of 23 family fun events associated with bonfire sites” with funding of £3,500 per event with an overall cost of estimated budget of £171,000.
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter