Hospital power outage concerns over bonfire site

There are concerns that the power supply has been put at risk at Belfast City Hospital because of an Eleventh night bonfire.

The bonfire has been built near a major electricity substation between the Donegall Road and the Westlink.

The Belfast Trust said "senior engineers will remain on site" at the hospital during the Eleventh night.

Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) said it had expressed concerns over the bonfire's "proximity to the substation causing potential risk to critical infrastructure and power outages".

The bonfire site has recently been the subject of concerns over asbestos that agencies and authorities said they were "unable" to remove.

Bonfires are lit annually in some unionist areas across Northern Ireland to usher in the Twelfth of July, the main date in the parading season.

In a statement to The Nolan Show, the network said it has put mitigations in place, including turning off the transformers adjacent to the bonfire, building scaffolding with metal sheeting around the transformers and placing steel plates on open cable ducts to reduce the risk of fire and damage.

However it warned that "there will be a reduction in security of supply for the area".

"We would remind the public that flames near to power lines and electricity substations pose serious risk to everyone's safety and wellbeing," NIE added.

The Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has visited bonfire site on Tuesday.

The SDLP's Matthew O'Toole said an issue with the electricity supply is "deeply concerning".

Speaking to BBC News NI, he said the SDLP's preference would be "that the bonfire went ahead in a safe context" but does not believe that is possible currently.

"This isn't about getting at anyone's culture or undermining a good time… this is a basic issue of public safety," he added.

Former senior police officer Jon Burrows told the show that there was a need for this in a "clear multi-agency approach... someone chairing a meeting with all the relevant people, fire service, landowners, the council and the environment agency" to address public safety concerns.

"People have a right to have cultural traditions and they should be respected and protected but bonfires should be safe, should be lawful," he added.

Concerns over asbestos have also been raised.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said in a statement on the asbestos concerns and said it had put in place mitigations "over the past week including the further covering of the asbestos containing material, the use of fire-retardant material and the erection of additional fencing".

It added that the department is in "ongoing contact with the council".

The PSNI said it is working with "partner agencies, community representatives and landowners to address community safety issues relating to bonfires".

It said due to the "potential that judicial proceedings may be initiated" it would not comment on specific bonfires.

The landowners, Boron Developments, acquired the site in the summer of 2017 and were made aware of asbestos on the site at that time.

Boron Developments have told the BBC's Talkback programme it has engaged with a waste management company to remove the asbestos but the company needed "no personnel" on the site in order to complete the removal of asbestos.

Due to people "bringing in materials and building the bonfire" the company told the landowners it "cannot complete these works".

Belfast City Council (BCC) said while the lands at the site remain "the responsibility of the landowner" the council and NIEA are "working together in relation to this site".

BCC said after the landowner appointed a contractor that carried out work to "contain and secure the asbestos" the NIEA assessed the site and "has recommended that further mitigating measures should be put in place".

BCC added that the council and NIEA have agreed those measures and the NIEA's investigation continues.

Members of the council's Strategic Policy and Resources Committee met last Thursday to discuss the site.

"Following discussion, elected members agreed to accept the extra mitigations proposed by NIEA, together with the additional precautionary measures outlined," BCC said.

The committee also considered a proposal from the SDLP to employ licensed contractors to remove the asbestos.

The council heard that would cost a six-figure sum. The motion was voted down.

On BBC's Talkback programme, the TUV's Sammy Morrison said the asbestos should have been cleared sooner, as it has "been known about for such a long time".

He said there were questions for the environment agency (NIEA) and for the council.

He added that the area is known for having a bonfire and it feels like these issues have been brought to light in "the eleventh hour" which will make it "difficult to persuade those to get rid of the bonfire" and not light it.

He said it is down to the Environment Minister, Andrew Muir, to make a decision.

SDLP's Matthew O'Toole agrees that the minister has a "ministerial responsibility" to take action as the asbestos is an "environmental crime".

Last month Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) councillor Tracy Kelly expressed concern but warned against "scaremongering".

"It's a very, very big bonfire site and the bonfire is not where this asbestos is. It's on another part of the site," she said.