Agenda item

Moved by Councillor R. Brooks,

Seconded by Councillor McKeown,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the People and Communities Committee of 8th April, 2025,be approved and adopted.

Requests for the Use of Botanic Gardens

Amendment

            Moved by Councillor McKeown,

            Seconded by Councillor Groogan and

      Resolved - that the decision of the People and Communities Committee of 8th April, 2025, under the heading ‘Requests for the Use of Botanic Gardens’ be rejected and, accordingly, permission not be granted to the applicants for the hosting of the events.

Closed Bin Lid Policy/Removal of Bin Liners

Amendment

            Moved by Councillor M. Donnelly,

            Seconded by Councillor Murphy and

      Resolved - that the decision of the People and Communities Committee of 8th April, 2025, under the heading ‘Closed Bin Lid Policy/Removal of Bin Liners’ be referred back to the Committee for further consideration.

Dual Language Street Signs

Potential Adverse Impacts

Amendment

Moved by Councillor D. Douglas,

Seconded by Alderman McCullough, 

      That the decision of the People and Communities Committee of 8th April, 2025, under the heading ‘Dual Language Street Signs – Potential Adverse Impacts’ be amended to provide that no surveys be undertaken of residents in Mount Merrion Avenue, Loopland Drive and Isoline Street and the applications for a second street sign, in Irish, be closed.

            On a vote, sixteen Members voted for the proposal and forty against and it was declared lost.

Requests to Host Events

in Parks and Open Spaces

Amendment

            Moved by Councillor R. Brooks,

            Seconded by Councillor Ferguson,

      That the decision of the People and Communities Committee of 8th April under the heading ‘Requests to Host Events in Parks and Open Spaces’ be amended to provide that, once the legal opinion is received in respect of the issues raised regarding the line-up for the proposed event at the Boucher Road Playing Fields in August, 2025, that a special meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee be convened to consider the matter.

            On a vote, twenty-six Members voted for the amendment and thirty-one against and it was declared lost.

  Further Amendment

Moved by Councillor de Faoite,

            Seconded by Councillor Lyons,

    That the Council agrees that the decision under the heading ‘Requests to Host Events in Parks and Open Spaces’ be amended to reflect the addition of the following wording to the decision:

      “That this Council condemns sectarianism in all its forms and is committed to create and develop a shared, peaceful and reconciled City; condemns all threats and acts of violence against political and elected representatives, who should be free to participate in the democratic process without fear of interference; rejects support of proscribed organisations promoting violence or hate; and believes that no one should be prevented from speaking out in defence of human rights, or against human rights abuses occurring during the ongoing genocide in Gaza and all other conflicts across the globe”.

            On a vote, forty-one Members voted for the amendment and fifteen against and it was declared carried. 

Adoption of Minutes

            Subject to the foregoing amendments, the minutes of the proceedings of the People and Communities Committee of 8th April, 2025, were approved and adopted.