Residents and businesses who have had bins stolen and set alight during recent nights of rioting in the borough could have them replaced – free of charge.
Both DUP and Sinn Fein were singing from the same hymn-sheet and have asked officers to consider the costs involved.
It would be a change of tack for ABC Council, as those who had bins taken during civil unrest last year were left to foot the bill themselves.
It was DUP Alderman Mark Baxter who raised the matter at the council’s governance committee on Wednesday night.
He highlighted similar scenes to those unfolding this week when, in 2025, “some homes and businesses had their wheelie bins burnt out in riot situations”.
But he added: “When they contacted us as elected representatives to try and get them replaced, we weren’t able to do it. When you see what’s happening across the borough over the last couple of nights, I think it’s something that this council should look at.”
Alderman Baxter, earlier in the day, had raised the matter by phone with the chief executive and head of environmental services.
He said council should be trying to help those who had been put out of their houses or had windows broken at home and then “end up a couple of weeks later having to replace three bins at a cost of £75 or £80”.
“I just think it’s a bit unfair,” added Alderman Baxter. “Whilst it’s not the council’s fault that this has happened, it’s not the residents’ fault or the business owners’ fault that this has happened either.
“I think for a very relatively low cost, council could probably – or should probably – replace those bins at times of extenuating circumstances as there is now with some civil unrest.
“I don’t think it’s a big ask to ask the council to replace bins if a business or a resident has a crime number and has reported a bin being stolen and burnt in that situation.”
He asked officers to “look at it very quickly over the next few days to see if that’s something that council can actually do and how the mechanics of that would look”.
Alderman Baxter also urged looking at the number of bins lost last year as a potential indication of how much it might take to replace them this time round.
Said the DUP representative: “It’ll be very low cost and it would be very welcome to those people who are really stressed out and when anxiety is probably running high and it’s something less for them to worry about. It’s a small gesture that I think the council could accede to.”
Sinn Fein Councillor Keith Haughian said he was “happy to support” the request.
And he added: “There’s been a serious amount of civil unrest, but the impact on residents in North Lurgan, there’s a number of elderly residents had their bins taken and set alight by thugs last night, so I’m absolutely in favour of the council, if we can without breaking precedent, stepping in to help in this situation.”
Jonathan Hayes, director of environmental services and sustainability, agreed to look into it.
“I’m happy to do a wee bit of work with the head of department, take a report through group party leaders next week and, if required, then bring a report to full council at the end of the month,” he said.
