Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is to begin conversations around its plans for the coronation of His Majesty, King Charles III.
Although a date is yet to be set for the coronation, speaking at council’s monthly meeting on Monday, September 26, Alderman Glenn Barr asked if councillors and officers could get together to “get the ball rolling” on council’s plans for how it wished to celebrate the occasion.
“Next year we will have a coronation and I just want to make sure we, as a council, are starting our plans early in terms of events or other schemes.
“In terms of facts and figures we can look at previous reports or previous events from the Queen’s jubilee to help shape what we should be doing in terms of the coronation of the King.”
The proposal to begin these discussions was seconded by Alderman Barr’s UUP party colleague, Councillor Sam Nicholson.
The DUP’s group leader, Alderman Mark Baxter said he was happy with the proposal but suggested a working group which has already been set up and dealt with both Northern Ireland’s centenary and Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee would be the best place for these discussions.
“I am happy with the proposal but if the proposer is happy there was a working group set up to deal with Northern Ireland’s centenary and then it morphed into the group for discussions around the platinum jubilee as well.
“Maybe we could just continue on with that groups as a way to get the information across? That might be the best forum for it and would save us constituting a new working group.”
With Alderman Barr signalling he was happy with that approach Sinn Fein Councillor Keith Haughian asked for more detail on what exactly was being proposed.
“I am not sure we are all agreed. Can I ask what it is that is being proposed?” he said. “Is it to bring forward some sort of programme of events? I was not clear what he was suggesting.”
Alderman Barr explained his proposal seeks to establish a working group to revisit what has been done previously for other events like the platinum jubilee.
“This will allow us to plan ahead for the coronation, we can look where we lie going forward in terms of the King’s coronation. Obviously we don’t yet know when that is but we could get the ball rolling, as well as looking at it from an environmental aspect as well.”
Council’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Paul Greenfield summarised the proposal telling the chamber it is for the working group to meet to discuss possibilities with no further commitment.
He then asked if the chamber was agreed that was the appropriate place for these discussions to take place and there were no objections forthcoming.
