Cllr Tom Ekin said: “I am very pleased that my motion on the need for Council to create a strategy to work towards the removal of peace walls was passed. This shows that we are moving towards a better future and we need to see Council move quickly to put a strategy in place to enable work in consultation with local residents towards taking away peace walls when communities want this to happen and when it’s safe to do so.
“It’s very significant that this motion was passed at Council as this shows positive leadership and that is what is needed to create the shared future that Northern Ireland deserves. We need to show the vision that is necessary to tackle segregation and having a strategy like this is key to doing so.
“It is crucial that when communities express the desire to remove division that measures are in place to ensure this positive action can be taken quick.
“It’s vital that we work together with local residents on this issue and respect their wishes. Also peace walls can only be removed when we create the good relations necessary to allow them to be taken down safely and Council can play a pivotal role in creating these good relations.”
ENDS