East Belfast bonfire: Families moved and homes boarded due to safety concerns

Housing Executive workers spent Friday morning putting up boards to protect windows and doors

More than 50 homes in east Belfast have been boarded up to protect them from a 11 July bonfire.

A number of families have moved out in the area around Chobham Street.

Housing Executive workers spent Friday morning putting up boards to protect windows and doors at 54 properties.

The bonfire is on land owned by the Department for Regional Development.

It is 30 feet from terraced houses.

A total of 54 houses along the street were boarded up

Ulster Unionist councillor Sonia Copeland has appealed to the bonfire-makers to reduce it in size.

They say they are willing to listen to suggestions to make it safer, but their current intention is to make it bigger.

Some families living beside the bonfire moved out of their homes after the Fire and Rescue Service warned their lives and property could be in danger.

Despite a number of meetings with various statutory agencies the people who are building the bonfire have refused to move it elsewhere.

Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers said it was the biggest that he "could ever recall".

Councillor Jim Rodgers said that where there was a risk to property, action needed to be taken

"This is a very worrying time for many of the residents," he said.

"There are four streets which are worrying the Fire and Rescue Service as well as the Walkway community centre which is voluntarily owned."

Mr Rodgers said a series of meetings had been held over the last two months with a wide range of public bodies to try to address the issue.

He said attempts had also been made to try to persuade the builders to reduce its size.

The bonfire, built on land owned by the Department for Regional Development, is 30 feet from terraced houses

"We have tried to work with the bonfire builders, we're not against the bonfire, but where there is a risk to life, where there is a risk to property, action needs to be taken, but unfortunately they're adamant that the bonfire is not going to be reduced in size," he said.

"What I'm asking them now to do is to behave in a responsible fashion.

"We don't want to see this district ruined. It's a very good area, I was born and brought up in it.

"This is a very worrying time for many elderly residents and people just don't know what to do."

Bonfires are lit every year on the eve of the annual Orange celebrations to mark the anniversary of the victory of the Protestant King William III over the Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne in 1690.