Ards and North Down Borough politicians are calling for more funding from Stormont and Whitehall for councils to spend on the Queen's platinum jubilee.
At the council’s recent Corporate Committee, a TUV motion received cross-party support to make an appeal to the Northern Ireland Executive and the Secretary of State to release more funds for the celebrations, despite Ards and North Down Council already having agreed to spend £100,000 on events and community funding.
The motion also tasked council officers to investigate "all possible external revenue streams" to identify money for the council's celebrations, including possible funding from the National Lottery.
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Last year Ards and North Down agreed to a programme involving street parties, a themed weekend in Bangor, concerts, beacon lighting, tree planting and a gallery.
As it stands, Northern Ireland's 11 councils have been left to work out jubilee spending from their own coffers. Belfast council last month confirmed last month it would spend £100,000 on the Queen’s Jubilee this year, while also agreeing to spend £200,000 on 'traditional Irish', BAME and LGTBQ events.
TUV Councillor Stephen Cooper told the Ards and North Down committee: “The prime motivation here is to explore trying to get money from the Executive for the councils across Northern Ireland and exploring any external funding.
“I know we already have a programme allocated, but this is to go a little bit further. I know there are some concerns about our budget in times of austerity, and we all know where we are in terms of the cost of living.
“But if we can tap into the millions that haven’t been spent by the dysfunctional government in the assembly, all the better.”
Independent Unionist Alderman Wesley Irvine said: “The notice of motion adds to what the council is doing already and puts the onus on the Executive to provide funding, and the Secretary of State to make that call in the absence of the Executive. Our council has a good programme of events, but for something of this magnitude we should receive some government funding.”
Independent Unionist Councillor Tom Smith said: “It would be shocking if there was no central funding, it really would, although when you look at what happened with the centenary, that doesn’t give much hope. But it is right we raise the issue."
Ards and North Down Borough has the highest proportion of protestant residents of any council area, at 75.1 percent, with catholics at 13.1 percent and 11.8 percent other, according to the last published census results. The borough has only one nationalist SDLP councillor, making it the borough with the smallest representation for nationalist/republican voters.
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