Other News In Brief

BCC Announce Holiday Bin Collection Dates

Belfast City Council has announced changes to its household bin and box collections over the Christmas and New Year period.  

For black, brown and blue bins, purple box glass collection and wheelie boxes: 

• Normally due Christmas Day – will now be done Saturday 23 December 

• Normally due Boxing Day – will now be done Saturday 30 December 

• Normally due New Year's Day – will now be done Saturday 6 January 

If your bins are not collected as planned, please continue to leave them out for weekend pick-up. 

For recycling boxes and food waste by Bryson Recycling: 

• Normally due Christmas Day – will now be done Saturday 23 December 

• Normally due Boxing Day – will now be done Sunday 24 December 

• Normally due New Year's Day – will now be done Saturday 30 December 

All other household bin and box collections will take place as normal over the festive period.

Residents are encouraged to sort their waste and use their recycling bins and boxes as much as possible.

Popular items like sweetie and biscuit tubs, cardboard packaging and plain paper cards can all be recycled (no glitter, ribbons or decorations), while food leftovers that can’t be stored or used up can go in your food waste caddy or brown bin.  

More festive recycling tips are available at belfastcity.gov.uk/recycling-your-christmas-waste

There are also changes to commercial waste collections from Monday 25 December to Friday 5 January. 

Residents can find further details of rescheduled dates on the council website at belfastcity.gov.uk/holidayarrangements, along with holiday opening hours for all council services and facilities.  

Belfast recycling centres and civic amenity sites will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, but open on all other dates as normal.

They can accept a wide range of recyclables, as well as additional household waste that can’t be recycled. Real Christmas trees can also be brought along for recycling, while smaller trees can be cut up and put in household brown bins.

Lough Neagh Crisis Must Be Top Priority For Any New Executive

The crisis in Lough Neagh must be addressed as a high priority by any new Executive, SDLP Mid Ulster Patsy McGlone has said.

Mr McGlone was speaking after a meeting with DAERA to discuss the department's Steering Group response to the Blue Green Algae blooms. He was accompanied at the meeting by Mid Ulster SDLP Councillors, Christine McFlynn, Kerri Martin, Malachy Quinn, Denise Johnston and Karol McQuade.

Mid Ulster MLA Mr McGlone said: "During the meeting we raised issues of concern around fish stocks and the sustainability of the eel fishery, biodiversity, and restricting the spread of zebra mussels. The department have advised that they would have a report with 113 recommendations on moving forward and that report would be ready by beginning of February 2024.

"They have said that some of the decisions that may need to be considered by an incoming Executive include: prioritising investment in the wastewater treatment works that impact on Lough Neagh, upgrading domestic wastewater treatment systems, reducing or eliminating the use of chemical phosphorus fertiliser on grassland, development of a fertiliser database, consultation on an updated Nutrient Action Programme, nature based interventions, potential NI land use strategy, establishment of a Water Forum and regulation.

"We look forward to seeing the details of those recommendations and a new Executive acting promptly on them. Those proposals will be dependent on the necessary funding and it will be for an incoming Executive to allocate that finance. It will also be the responsibility of Executive parties to address the failure of environmental governance behind this crisis.

"The underlying factor that created the crisis in Lough Neagh this summer has not gone away with the warm summer weather. The excessive levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, mostly from agricultural sources, that caused the recent blue-green algal blooms still remain. The SDLP have repeatedly called for an independent Environmental Protection Agency for Northern Ireland, in line with those already established elsewhere across the islands of Ireland and Britain. It was a commitment n the 2020 New Decade, New Approach agreement and it must be delivered upon.

"Everyone wants to see a reversal in the decline of water quality in Lough Neagh, but if we are to make progress on Lough Neagh's recovery, and help ensure it does not happen again, then we need to put in place a robust and fully independent system of environmental governance. Reducing the level of excessive nutrients in the water remains the only viable long-term resolution of the immediate problem, but the future well-being of the Lough will be dependent on the establishment of a fully independent Environmental Protection Agency to enforce regulations in the North."

Belfast's Welcome Centre Marks 10th Anniversary

Belfast's Welcome Centre has marked a milestone anniversary, having serviced almost six million visitor enquiries since it opened in 2013.

The city's flagship visitor information office, operated by Visit Belfast, opened to the public and tourists just before Christmas in 2013. Over the past decade, more than 2.3 visitors have crossed the doors of the centre on Donegall Square North, with Visit Belfast travel advisors fielding a total of 5,906,884 queries.

Unveiled following a £1.82 million investment, the facility proves a "one stop shop" to visitors and residents alike with information accompanied by the ability to book events, shows or accommodation, and a gift shop.

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Ryan Murphy said: "I am immensely proud of this place and the welcome that we are famous for across the world. Over the past 10 years, the experience for tourists and other visitors coming into Belfast has transformed. The Belfast Welcome Centre, and Visit Belfast, have played a pivotal role in that. Congratulations to them for making this the city of 'six million welcomes'.

"As we mark this anniversary, we are also looking ahead to the next 12 months which promise to be another momentous year with Belfast 2024 bringing a programme of cultural celebration and the opening of City Quays Gardens, not to mention a host of conferences and cruise visits."