WOULD it matter if Northern Ireland’s councillors all started vetoing each other?

Gordon Lyons, the DUP communities minister, wants them to be automatically able to do so.

His remit covers the law on the call-in procedure, the council equivalent of Stormont’s petition of concern.

It has emerged that last month he wrote to all 11 councils, reminding them the law enables 15% of councillors to call in a decision.

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A vote must then be held that allows 20% of councillors to block it, provided the reason for the call-in is the decision’s impact on one section of the community.

Other parties have warned this would bring business in every council to a halt.

It is unclear if Lyons is correct on the law. After a call-in, councils are required to seek the opinion of a practising lawyer on whether the decision would have a community impact. Only........

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