Bonfire management added to Mid and East Antrim Council’s corporate risk register

“Failure to effectively manage bonfire-related activity across the borough” has been identified as a potential risk for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

The issue has now been added to the local authority’s corporate risk register, which is monitored by the senior management team on a quarterly basis.

The proposed addition was presented for consideration by councillors, behind closed doors, at a meeting of the council’s Audit and Scrutiny Committee in May.

Minutes of that meeting recorded an independent committee member, who is not an elected councillor, describing the discussion as “very constructive” and stating that the proposed addition represented a “valid risk for council”.

A report presented to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee at The Braid in Ballymena last week confirmed that the corporate risk relating to bonfire activity in the borough has now been formally included on the register.

The council’s corporate risk register also includes potential risks associated with maintaining financial sustainability, successfully delivering City Deal investment projects in Mid and East Antrim, and ageing infrastructure at Seven Towers Leisure Centre in Ballymena.

Other risks include the delivery of dry recycling harmonisation, which will extend the blue bin recycling system to the Carrickfergus and Ballymena areas, the threat of cyber attacks and disruption to information systems, resistance to transformational change and modernisation, difficulties in attracting and retaining key skills and leadership, and the delivery and implementation of key phases of the Tech One IT programme.

The Local Government Association says corporate risk registers are used by public bodies to help “safeguard public funds, continuity of essential services and demonstrate accountability”.

Meanwhile, bonfire management was discussed behind closed doors at a full meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in March, when members agreed to introduce a pilot bonfire management programme.

The issue first appeared on the council’s agenda in January 2023 following the death of father-of-two John Steele, who was in his 30s and died while helping to build the Antiville bonfire in Larne on July 9, 2022.

Councillors later considered a report outlining the findings and recommendations arising from a consultation on bonfire management carried out by ACT Initiative, a registered Belfast-based charity, and were asked to agree the next steps.

ACT Initiative states on its website that it “promotes community development, strengthening local networks and partnerships and conflict resolution and human rights by advancing reconciliation and social cohesion”.

Minutes from the March meeting recorded questions from councillors regarding council liability for structures located on council-owned land, clarification on the previously undisclosed costs of the pilot scheme, and the criteria organisations or groups would need to meet to receive funding for events.

It was proposed by Ballymena Independent Councillor Rodney Quigley and seconded by Carrickfergus Castle DUP Alderman Billy Ashe MBE that a bonfire management pilot programme should be introduced for 2026, “as outlined in the ACT Initiative report”.

The minutes also noted that five Alliance councillors recorded their “disagreement with the proposal”.

Following the meeting, an Alliance spokesperson said in a statement issued to the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“Everyone has a right to celebrate their cultural identity, and Alliance supports the display of culture when it’s done in a way which is legal, respectful and safe.

“However, these proposals fail to tackle the main issue facing Mid and East Antrim and are yet to clarify what action council is duty bound to take when there is a risk to life or property identified – a consideration that cannot be overlooked in the context that a man sadly lost his life in Larne.”

A spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said:

“The council has appointed an independent third party to engage directly with bonfire builders. This engagement aims to secure agreement to a clear protocol which focuses on improving safety and reducing negative impacts.

“Specifically, this includes the removal of dangerous materials from bonfires, promoting safer construction practices, and encouraging more positive and responsible behaviours in relation to flags, emblems and other materials.”

In October 2024, councillors were told there were 25 bonfires in Mid and East Antrim, with 12 located on council-owned land, six on Housing Executive land and seven on private land.

Ten were in the Ballymena area, eight in Larne and seven in Carrickfergus.

Cleaning up council-owned bonfire sites in Mid and East Antrim cost approximately £33,000 in 2024, compared with almost £37,000 the previous year.

The council also maintains a database of 45 potential bonfire locations across the borough.