Council lobbies to secure ‘borough’ status
Friday, 24 October 2008
The proposed boundaries and names of the new Causeway Coast District Council supercouncil.
Councillors have agreed to fight for 'borough' status when Coleraine amalgamates with Limavady, Ballymoney and Moyle.
Proposals to reduce Northern Ireland's local authorities from 26 to 11 were announced last month. The provisional name for the 'supercouncil' which subsumes Coleraine is Causeway Coast District Council.
At Tuesday's meeting of Coleraine Borough Council's policy and development committee members agreed to lobby boundary commissioner for the retention of borough status.
The move was suggested by new chief executive Roger Wilson who pointed out three of the four councils being merged were already boroughs.
Although a public consultation is underway, the reforms are expected to be passed by the assembly within a year.
Granted by royal charter, borough status is purely honorary. Borough councils however, are allowed to nominate a mayor and deputy mayor instead of a chairperson.
Borough councils are also permitted to pass resolutions admitting "persons of distinction" and persons who have "rendered eminent service" to be an honorary freeman of the borough.
Roger Wilson told councillors on Tuesday he had already held preliminary meetings with his opposite numbers in Ballymoney, Limavady and Moyle.
He said committees would be set up "in the very near future" to manage the transition.
