A survey carried out by the Housing Executive has revealed that the majority of people living in the Bogside no longer want a bonfire close to their homes.
The news comes after it emerged it cost £40,000 to police the bonfire lit in the Bogside area last year, which was almost four times the cost of policing six bonfires in loyalist areas on July 11 last year.
The figures were presented in a deputation entitled ‘Policing Bonfires’ presenting to a meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Health and Communities Committee.
The deputation was made up of the City Centre Manager, Jim Roddy, PSNI Inspector Jonny Hunter, and Mark Deeney, District Commander, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.
Also present was Avril McAllister, District Manager with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE).
Mr Roddy then outlined that the deputation had been brought before council due to the fact that there was ‘quite a lot of difficulties’ with bonfires, particularly in Meenan Square, and ‘quite a lot of money’ was being spent on the issue.
He added the bonfires were also being ‘adorned with materials that caused tensions’ and negatively impacted on both ‘people visiting the city centre and businesses’.
Mr Roddy continued that last year’s bonfire in Meenan Square had been moved to a green area next Nailor’s Row (pictured), and a support had to put in place over fears it could fall into accommodation at nearby St Columb’s Wells.
He continued items such as flags placed on the same bonfire had caused ‘massive tensions’ in the Fountain area.
Commenting, Inspector Jonny Hunter said policing bonfires had a ‘massive impact’ on the PSNI and the community in terms of diverting away resources from tackling crimes such as anti-social behaviour.
He then outlined the cost of policing the bonfires in Derry last summer, which totalled £67,500.
The meeting was told that £11,500 was spent on policing six bonfires lit in loyalist areas on July 11, while a bonfire lit in the Fountain on August 7 cost £16,000 to police, but that cost had been ‘pushed up’ by a suspect device.
He added the Meenan Square bonfire incurred a policing cost of £40,000.
Insp. Hunter added police were also faced with further problems with disorder in and around the bonfire, adding that ‘some parents don’t seem to care that their children are out at 11.30pm at night in an area where there is disorder.
He also outlined the difficulties his officers faced policing such a situation and told the meeting that during the bonfire, a young girl had been assaulted, but the PSNI were unable to go in and deal with the situation for fear of their actions being ‘misread’ by the crowd.
“That’s where we’re caught,” he continued.
The inspector said that similar problems had been witnessed in the Galliagh community, where in 2012, the clean-up and policing costs of a bonfire came to £100,000.
However, he said with the Fleadh Cheoil coming to Derry in 2013, the community had decided they no longer wanted the bonfire in their community.
Avril McAllister of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) then presented the meeting with e survey undertaken with 317 residents of the Bogside area regarding bonfires.
She said 86 per cent of people were not happy with a bonfire in close proximity to their homes, while a further 64 per cent of people ‘didn’t want to see a bonfire’ at all.
Ms McAllister continued that 18 per cent of those who responded to the survey said they were ‘happy enough’ with the bonfire if certain conditions were met, such as the bonfire being supervised, and being placed in a safe area away from homes.
Meanwhile, 14 per cent of those survey said they were ‘satisfied’ with the bonfire.
Mr Roddy then said that the deputation was seeking the support of council to ‘ensure we abide by the wishes of the community’ in terms of bonfire.
He added that if a community does want a bonfire, then the statutory bodies do ‘the proper things’ to ensure its safety, and if the bonfire is not supported, then the statutory bodies are also supported to carry out their duties.
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