The Parades Commission last night placed restrictions on the Easter Monday Apprentice Boys parade on the Ormeau Road, Belfast. The feeder parade will now be rerouted at Ormeau Bridge and will not pass down the lower, mainly nationalist part of the road.
The Commission also placed restrictions on a counter-parade to be held by the residents of the Lower Ormeau Road on Easter Monday, the same day as the loyal order parade.
The Lower Ormeau Concerned Community group last night welcomed the decision to re-route the Apprentice Boys parade.
In a statement, the Commission said that dialogue was beginning to take place between the Apprentice Boys and the Ormeau Road residents and believed a local accommodation may be reached in the time for the Apprentice Boys main parade in August.
Other decisions will prevent a flute band in Lurgan from marching past the offices of murdered solicitor, Ms Rosemary Nelson.
The Portadown Orange Order, District Number 1, had their weekly request to march down the Garvaghy Road denied. The Crumlin Young Flute Band was also prevented from marching in their parade on April 5th in Crumlin, Co Antrim, because they caused trouble at the event last year. This is the first time the commission has banned an individual band and not an entire parade.