Residents given Drumcree plans

This year's march in Portadown passed off peacefully,

The Protestant Orange Order has sent residents of the nationalist Garvaghy Road a copy of proposals aimed at resolving the dispute over the annual parade at Drumcree.

A copy of the plans was given to Downing Street last month.

This year's march in Portadown, County Armagh, passed off peacefully, but over the years, there has been serious violence directed against the police and Army at Drumcree.

The Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition said it received the proposals on Friday, from lawyers acting for the Orange Order.

In a statement, a spokesman for the residents said the plans were "not dissimilar" to those put forward in 1998, which did not result in a solution at that time.

The residents have said they are examining the documents carefully, but that they believe the Orange Order has not publicly said it would engage in negotiations without imposing any conditions.

Consent

It is understood that under the proposals, there would be one more parade but any future march would require the consent of the residents.

The Orangemen's proposed march would bring to an end the protest which began in 1998 at Drumcree Church when their homeward route was blocked by the security forces.

In future years, Portadown district lodge would continue to apply to walk its traditional route but it has accepted the agreement of the residents would be required.

If that consent was withheld, there would be no resumption of the Drumcree protest.

Before any future parade, the Orange Order would agree to a meeting with residents to discuss the parade and any possible protest.

The order in Portadown believe the meeting should be chaired by the prime minister's Chief of Staff, Jonathan Powell, who would also help set up a new civic forum to deal with social issues affecting both sides of the community in Portadown.

The week before this year's march, the Parades Commission ruled the Orangemen had to use an alternative route after Garvaghy Road residents objected to the march.

The Parades Commission was set up in 1997 to make decisions on whether controversial parades should be restricted.