‘UK’ kept innew exhibit

The Unionist group on Council were supported by the SDLP in a vote taken on the issue yesterday whilst republicans voted against the UK reference on the timeline.

Supporting the retention Waterside SDLP Councillor Gerard Diver said: “Regardless of what we think, the UK City of Culture was awarded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in London.”

Councillor Diver said it would seem petty to change the panel and supported the UK City of Culture reference in the interests of inclusivity.

The matter was brought up during April’s full council meeting yesterday. Council was due to privately discuss a special council meeting on April 15, that had dealt with branding issues.

However DUP Alderman Maurice Devenney succeeded in having the matter discussed in public despite a bid to move the debate behind closed doors as ‘confidential business.’

Whilst Unionist wishes were observed with the retention of the UK title, the Council voted to retain ‘Derry’ as the preferred postal address for outgoing mail, and also to add ‘Doire’ to the local authority’s corporate brand alongside ‘Derry’ and ‘Londonderry.’

The Council also backed a Sinn Féin proposal to establish a working group to make sure the new Guildhall is an inclusive place for everyone in the city.

However, DUP Alderman Joe Miller said: “There is the fear that a working party could be used as a vehicle for Sinn Féin to airbrush everything British out.”

It can’t be allowed to become a “cold house for Unionists”, said Alderman Miller.

Councillor Diver said he hoped that was not what it was about and that he didn’t believe it was.

He said: “Unionists are a minority to be welcomed and cherished.” The SDLP also insisted the group be established using the D’Hondt method.

Alderman Devenney welcomed the good work done on the Guildhall to date saying it was a “splendid, splendid piece of work.”

Referring to the postal address he said that regardless of a 2003 policy commitment by the Council to use ‘Derry’ the Unionist delegation “wouldn’t have supported it then and wouldn’t support it now.” Neither, said Alderman Devenney, would the Unionist group support the inclusion of Doire in the corporate logo.

He said people are used to the ‘Derry/Londonderry’ convention. He requested the matters be put to a recorded vote during the monthly meeting.

The decision to include ‘Doire’ was passed by the SDLP and Sinn Féin and the inclusion of the UK on the Plantation timeline was backed by the Unionist group and the SDLP.

Alderman Devenney said later that, following comments made by Martin McGuinness recently, he feared republicans would use a working party to move to a “new phase”, which would lead to British identity being further diminished.

He added that he wanted the ‘UK’ prefix issue dealt with without the cloak of secrecy as it was in the public interest to know what was happening.

DEBATE

During the debate Council Interim Strategic Director Peter Appleton explained that it had been identified that three branding issues needed to be addressed given the imminent re-opening of the historic Guildhall.

The first issue related to the Council’s official address for outgoing mail, which since a vote in 2003 has been ‘Derry.’

The second concerned the Council’s corporate brand; and the third related to the UK City of Culture 2013 reference in the Guildhall.

Sinn Féin councillor Paul Fleming welcomed the matter being heard in public and said he was looking forward with great anticipation to the re-opening of the Guildhall.

He said he hoped the “interior shall be reflective of the entire city and district.”

To this end he proposed the establishment of the working-group to make sure the new Guildhall becomes an inclusive space for everyone in Londonderry.

Councillor Fleming said ‘Doire’ should be added to the corporate logo but that Sinn Féin were not sure the UK City of Culture 2013 reference fitted in the Plantation timeline and that this was something the working group should look at.

Councillor Diver said the re-opening of the Guildhall was an “exciting prospect” and that he looked forward to seeing the Edwardian building moving into the 21st century.

He said the postal address of the Council should remain ‘Derry’ in accordance with the democratic will of local representatives as laid down in 2003.

He said the SDLP also backed the inclusion of ‘Doire’ in the corporate logo as “Derry is simply an anglicisation of Doire.”

However, Councillor Diver outlined the SDLP’s support for the retention of the UK prefix on the Plantation timeline.

He said he remembered going head-to-head with people on local radio at the time of the bid who had registered their opposition as a result of it being a UK title.

Councillor Diver said it would seem petty to change the panel and supported the retention of the UK City of Culture reference.

Although Alderman Devenney asked for all the matters to be put to a recorded vote Alderman Miller later intervened on behalf of the Unionist group saying that it was unnecessary to put the postal address to a vote.

He said: “Whilst we accept the policy is the majority wish and that it is a long-standing policy, we would not agree with it. It is not our will.”

The decision to include ‘Doire’ was passed with the support of the SDLP and Sinn Féin. The inclusion of UK City of Culture 2013 on the Plantation timeline was then backed by the Unionist group and the SDLP.

Sinn Fein opposed the guaranteed retention of the ‘UK’ prefix without review by the new working group. The establishment of the new working group was then approved with the proviso that it should be formed on the basis of D’Hondt.