ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL Policy Screening Form 1. Policy Reference E 175 (Equality use only) 2. Policy Name Ards and North Down Borough Council support for placing of VC recipient memorial stones and associated Ulster History Circle plaques within the Borough 3. Existing / Revised / New Policy New 4. Responsible Officer Director of Organisational Development and Administration 5. Description of policy to be A number of residents of the Ards and North Down screened Borough Council area received the Victoria Cross for valour during the First World War and thereafter. In 2016, the Council marked the centenary of Edward Barry Bingham receiving the VC, in 2017 they marked the VC award to J S Dunville and in 2018, marked the centenary of Edmund De Wind having received the VC, by the laying of commemorative stones in Bangor, Holywood and Comber respectively. The Department of Communities in Westminster provided memorial stones to mark the bravery of all VC recipients of the First World War and allocated them to the local authority covering the geographical area of the recipient’s birth or family residence for siting. In Northern Ireland, these stones were allocated to local authorities via the Northern Ireland Office (NIO). In Donaghadee, a stone was commissioned and its erection funded in 2016 by the Council to commemorate WD Kenny who received a VC in 1920, two years after the end of the First World War. The stone was not provided by the Department of Communities as the date of receipt was outside of the scope of its initiative. The VC award to Barry Bingham was a VC Memorial Stone placed at the Town Hall, Bangor as well as an Ulster History Circle Plaque. This was to acknowledge that Barry Bingham VC was born in the Castle, Bangor. Edmund de Wind, was born in Comber and awarded the VC for valour in 1918. A VC Memorial Stone was placed in Comber Square 1 The Bingham stone at the Castle was provided by Ards and North Down Borough Council. The De Wind plinth in which the VC Stone was set, was paid for through local fundraising arrangements led by the Comber Regeneration Partnership and the Ulster History Circle Plaque was provided by the Ulster History Circle and paid for as part of an Ulster Scots Agency initiative. The inset for the stones was provided by the Department for Communities at Westminster Aims and To ensure appropriate memorials are located within the Expected Outcomes – what is Borough that recognise the contribution of individuals who the Policy expected to were born and/or lived within the Borough and have been achieve? awarded the Victoria Cross. The Council will support the installation in an equitable and suitable manner that ensures that all those who received a Victoria Cross from the Borough are treated equitably. 6. Section 75 categories which All Section 75 categories are expected to benefit as the might be expected to benefit placing of these stones and Ulster History plaques and and how they may benefit. associated publicity will raise awareness of the contribution of all who contributed to WW1 and were awarded the Victoria Cross in recognition. 7. Factors which could contribute If the agreed policy is not enacted as intended including to / detract from the intended the availability of financial support from the council or aims / outcomes of the Policy following national guidelines or historic context. when being implemented 8. The main stakeholders on whom The Council, Council employees, residents of the the policy will impact. For example, Borough, visitors to the Borough, family members of Employees, Potential Service recipients, Department of Communities, NI Office, the Users and Community Groups regiments of those to whom the award were made, all Consider the internal and external serving personnel, veterans from all services, armed impacts (either actual or potential) forces and regimental associations, Somme and comment, or list, information Association, Somme Museum and other museums. where appropriate Individuals who visit the Borough for the purpose of visiting these sites or who see the plaques as they go about daily life, Historical Societies and those with an interest in military history. 9. Please provide details of other policies which have a bearing on this one. E 15 Ards and North Down Borough Council - Ards and North Down Borough Corporate Plan Council E 16 Good Relations Strategy and Action Plan E 27 Lands and Property Policy E 28 Corporate Complaints policy and procedure 2 E 42 Battle of Britain Event September 2015 E 52 Requests to Name Council Facilities E 107 Memorial Plaque - J S Dunville VC E 130 Integrated Tourism, Regeneration and Development Strategy 10. Available evidence (quantitative and qualitative) considered as important to encourage completion in relation to : Religious Summary: Belief The Northern Ireland Census 2011 (NISRA)statistics for the Borough area showed that 75% are or have been brought up in Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related) religions. While this varied across the borough from 17% in Portaferry ward to 87% in Carrowdore ward this does not have any relation to this policy. These compared to 48% for Northern Ireland as a whole. See table below Data: Religion or Religion Brought up in (Numbers with % in brackets) All usual Catholic Protestant Other None residents and Other Religions Christian (including Christian related) Northern Ireland 1,810,863 817,385 875,717 16,592 101,169 (100%) (45%) (48%) (1%) (6%) Ards and North Down Borough 156,672 20,550 117,589 1,729 16,804 Council (100%) (13%) (75%) (1%) (11%) Source: Religion or religion brought up in. Census 2011, NISRA 3 Employee details: Figures taken from Monitoring Return for 01/01/2017 Ards and North Down Borough Council Males Protestant Roman Catholic Other Total Full 358 (84%) 33(8%) 34(8%) 425 Time (100%) Part *(63%) *(25%) *(13%) *8 Time (100%) Totals 363(84%) 35(8%) 35(8%) 433(100 %) Females Protestant Roman Catholic Other Total Full 223(78%) 58(20%) 6(2%) 287(100 Time %) Part 20(54%) 12(32%) 5(14%) 37(100% Time ) Totals 243(75%) 70(22%) 11(3%) 324(100 %) The makeup of the council in relation to employee religious belief is 80% Protestant, 14% Roman Catholic and 6% Other. * No figures have been given as low figures may serve to identify individuals Political Summary: Opinion Electoral Office data from recent Local Government elections detail the political representation on Ards and North Down Council, The Stormont Executive for this electoral area and Westminster election. This data is an approximate measure of political opinion of the voting electorate within the Borough. Turnout to vote in North Down and Strangford constituencies tend to be lower than the rest of NI suggesting less strong political opinions. Of those who do turn out, the results show preferences for voting Unionist parties. See table below Data: Council Election results The most recent local council election (22nd May 2015) showed: Elected Candidate Eligible Votes Electorate Polled (% Turnout) DUP Sinn Féin UUP SDLP Alliance Independent TUV Green Northern Ireland 638,332 1,243,649 (51.3%) 130 105 88 66 32 15 13 4 4 Ards and North Down Borough Council 47,161 112,077 (42.1%) 17 9 1 7 2 1 3 Ards Peninsula (DEA) 7,369 16,656 (44.2%) 3 1 1 1 Bangor Central 6,678 (DEA) 17,194 (38.8%) 2 2 1 1 Bangor East and Donaghadee 6,915 (DEA) 16,956 (40.8%) 3 1 1 1 Bangor West 5,448 (DEA) 13,479 (40.4%) 2 1 1 1 Comber 6,272 (DEA) 13,681 (45.8%) 2 1 1 1 Holywood and Clandeboye 6,229 (DEA) 14,158 (44.0%) 2 1 1 1 Newtownards 8,250 (DEA) 19,953 (41.4%) 3 2 1 1 Source: The Electoral Office, NI Since the election in 2014 for local Councillors changes to the political make-up of the Council have taken place. The current makeup of the Council as at December 2017 was: 18 DUP, 8 UUP, 3 Independents, 2 Greens with 7 Alliance, 1 SDLP and 1 TUV. Racial Summary: Group NISRA, NINIS and Northern Ireland Strategic Migration Partnership data provide up to date data. The 2011 census showed that 32,000 (1.8%) of the usually resident population in Northern Ireland is from a minority ethnic background. Within the borough, the 2011 Census showed that 1.5% (2,300) were from a minority ethnic background. Across the borough this ranged from 5.2% in Loughview ward to 0.3% in Lisbane ward. See table below 5 Data: Ethnic Group (Numbers with % in brackets) All usual All usual residents White Chinese Indian Banglades hi Other Asian Black African Black Other Mixed Other Northern Ireland 1,810,863 1,778,449 6,303 6,198 540 6,089 2,345 1271 6,014 3,654 (100%) (98%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) Ards and North Down Borough 156,672 154,365 406 283 177 415 139 132 556 199 Council (100%) (99%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) Ards 156,672 23,367 26 19 5 19 6 2 51 29 Peninsula (100%) (99%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) Bangor 23,524 24,469 105 43 17 43 26 32 119 38 Central (100%) (98%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) Bangor East and 24,892 22,648 56 27 10 91 11 2 82 19 Donaghadee (100%) (99%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 22,946 17,763 19 2 3 26 73 15 Bangor West (100%) (98%) (0%) 135 (0%) 116 (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 18,152 18,216 30 8 9 35 4 8 55 17 Comber (100%) (99%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) Holywood and 18,382 20,061 65 31 23 81 81 56 101 61 Clandeboye (100%) (98%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 20,560 27,841 105 20 111 30 8 6 75 20 Newtownards (100%) (99%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (0%) Source: Ethnic Group, Census 2011, NISRA Age NISRA have published population projections for the Borough which show that the proportion of those aged 85 and over are expected to more than double within the next 25 years.