“The substances burned are harmful to the environment and the cost to remove bonfire debris is an unnecessary expense on an already stretched budget.”
Northern Ireland Water is to take action against the culprits behind a Co Antrim illegal bonfire site amid alleged threats and a failure to reach a resolution.
Village residents and Lisburn and Castlereagh City councillors have previously spoken out against the dumping of material for the Stoneyford bonfire.
Gate pillars at the former Northern Ireland Water reservoir are annually marked in red, white and blue with ‘UVF’ graffiti and a sign directing people to dump material destined for a July bonfire.
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NI Water statement reads: “NI Water has gathered and documented evidence relating to the activity at the site and continue to do so. This information will be referred to the appropriate authorities.
“NI Water has been robust in engaging with elected representatives, community groups and other statutory agencies in the area.
“Extensive efforts have confirmed that the individuals responsible for this bonfire neither engage with, nor respond to approaches made by intermediaries.
“Unfortunately, given previous experiences on this site neither NI Water nor other agencies were able to secure the services of a contractor to remove materials from the site.”
NIW has previously confirmed in a letter, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, that its staff members have been threatened on site when attempting to negotiate with those responsible for the dump collection and bonfire.
The LDRS in 2025 revealed a £60,000 price tag on bonfire clean-ups at the Stoneyford beauty spot over the last five years, following a decision by the Information Commissioner’s Office to force NIW to release the figures.
The cost included a removal and disposal of tyres by a specialist contractor.
An up to date Freedom of Information request has shown last year’s clean up of bonfire waste on the site cost NIW approximately £2,500.
Video footage seen by the LDRS shows this year’s “1st July Bonfire” being lit with plumes of black smoke coming from the blaze.
NIW added:”Given the absence of any identifiable organisation or recognised point of contact, there is no meaningful route for community engagement or negotiated resolution, and the matter must therefore be addressed through the relevant statutory processes and enforcement mechanisms available.
“NI Water would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that building bonfires on this site is illegal.
“The substances burned are harmful to the environment and the cost to remove bonfire debris is an unnecessary expense on an already stretched budget.”
The LDRS contacted the PSNI. A spokesperson said:”There have been no reports received in relation to threats at the Stoneyford site.
“PSNI continues to engage with all relevant partners in relation to the Stoneyford bonfire site, including the landowner, residents and statutory agencies where appropriate.
“The primary responsibility for decisions relating to structures located on privately owned land rests with the landowner.
“Police engagement has focused on supporting multi-agency discussions, maintaining community safety, assessing any risks associated with the site, and ensuring that any policing response remains proportionate.”
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