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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Brendan Hughes

Mid and East Antrim council to hold special meeting on legal position on bonfires

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is to hold a special meeting to discuss its legal position on bonfires.

It will take place on Wednesday at 6.30pm, with the single item on the agenda to be debated behind closed doors.

Councillors will discuss a restricted report entitled "Management of Bonfires".

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No further details have been provided on the nature of the meeting, with the press and public being denied access.

The council has been considering its approach to bonfires built on its land following safety concerns after the death last year of a man who fell from a pyre in Larne.

Father-of-two John Steele, 36, had been helping to construct the Eleventh Night bonfire in the Antiville area of the town.

No bonfire is under construction on this site this year at present.

Builders in the Craigyhill estate last year sought to set a "world record" for the tallest ever bonfire, reaching a height of around 202ft.

Fundraising efforts to have this year's pyre officially recognised by Guinness World Records have been redirected towards a young girl needing cancer treatment.

The council meeting is expected to discuss legal advice the local authority received several months ago around potential public liability over bonfires built on its land.

It is believed councillors are considering whether to state clearly it does not consent to bonfires on its land, in a bid to avoid possible liability for any issues which arise.

The special council meeting was not advertised on the local authority's public schedule, but an agenda was uploaded to its website.

It is expected to be chaired by Alliance councillor Gerardine Mulvenna, the council's newly appointed mayor.

The council was approached for comment.

In a previous statement, a spokesman for the local authority said: "Mid and East Antrim Borough Council works closely with relevant statutory partners and the community in relation to bonfires throughout the area.

"Council has developed a Cultural Celebrations Working Group with the aim of strengthening partnerships between local community leaders and statutory partners to encourage safe and responsible cultural celebrations."

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