Councillors call for action over perennial flyposting
FERMANAGH and Omagh District Council is to write to the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) “emphasising the importance” of attending to instances of flyposting.
During the February meeting of the Environmental Services Committee, Councillor Stephen Donnelly, Alliance, raised the issue of political flyposting, telling councillors: “Our community is more than patient through our many election campaigns when we use posters, banners and billboards to promote respective values and messages.
“However, the continued proliferation of such materials outside of election time is allowing them to become weatherbeaten and dilapidated, [and] does a disservice to the public.
“This is open disrespect to the people of the community who stated they are tired of towns and villages being treated like a dumping ground.”
The matter was revisited at the March meeting where Councillor Adam Gannon, SDLP, said he had been contacted about the issue in general – one that is not restricted to political flyposting, as: “People are fed up. It’s bad enough at election time, but there are numerous other political posters not linked to elections.”
He enquired if there is scope to remove these through “a sweep of the district, because for a lot of people they are eyesores”.
In response, Chief Executive Alison Mccullagh advised the Clean Neighbourhoods Policy places the onus on the owner of the property, and often when flyposting would be on property for example belonging to the DFI, the Council would refer this as a matter of urgency as being their obligation to remove.
She continued: “Typically, the DFI will say it is not a resource priority in the first instance; particularly, when we are dealing with the public sector, it remains up to property owners.”
Ms. Mccullagh suggested writing to the Minister for Infrastructure: “emphasising the importance of attending to this”.
She continued: “We [the Council] don’t have the financial or human resources. In addition, where there are political posters without political intent, such as a community message, we can engage with the parties and encourage their removal.”
Councillor Gannon proposed this to be actioned.
Sinn Féin’s Councillor Sheamus Greene recalled the Council carrying out a sweep some time again, and in the course of this, a local primary school advertised their annual fun day, and paid quite a lot of money for a poster that went missing.
“It was about six months later I discovered the Council had taken it away for whatever reason, so we need to be very careful on this,” he said.
Party colleague, Councillor Tommy
Maguire, then seconded Councillor Gannon’s proposal, telling councillors: “This is a perennial problem … We’ve been going round in circles about this for years.
“We’ve had sectarian posters which I felt as a Council we had some remit to remove, because they are definitely instilling hatred between communities … A former Enniskillen resident visited recently and was rather upset to see the Israeli flag flying on the Tempo Road, and that’s something seen all over the country, unfortunately.
“It is obnoxious to a considerable amount of the population.
“We have to get to a point where we, as a council, clearly understand when it is our responsibility or definitively the role of DFI.
“Every time a flag is mentioned, it’s DFI [with responsibility to remove it] and they won’t step in,” he claimed.
Councillor Maguire continued: “I would like an explanation as to when it’s our role, including sectarian instances, and anti-abortion posters, which were distasteful and upsetting for many. There were also banners put up supporting soldiers.”
He suggested a report is obtained to establish whose job it is and “possibly embarrass the DFI to take responsibility”.
This was agreed unanimously.