Sinn Féin has opposed a boost to community grants aimed at helping people celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
But despite the opposition, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council's (LCCC) community committee approved a £14,525 increase to the 'street party' budget, bringing it to a total of just under £60k.
The local authority's funding pot had been oversubscribed with a majority of councillors now backing a move to give almost all 86 applicants a £700 grant. The fund is for groups wanting to mark the anniversary of Germany's World War II surrender on May 8, 1945.
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A LCCC officer said: "The council agreed to develop and implement, as part of its overall VE Day 80 programme, a small grant fund to allow local groups to apply for financial assistance to undertake community initiatives.
"This grant has an upper threshold of £700 with an overall budget of £45k. All applicants were deemed successful with a total of £59,525 applied for.
"The overspend of £14,525 can be earmarked from in year underspend in the leisure and community wellbeing department budget."
The committee had previously heard the VE (Victory in Europe) Day funding pot would be shared between an estimated 64 groups.
Previous LCCC budgets for major community events saw £35,000 grants for local groups, with each gaining a maximum of £500 for D-Day commemorations as well as a £46,000 fund for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and £52,495 for the King’s Coronation.
Killultagh Sinn Féin rep, Gary McCleave said: "We can't support this increase and we have already raised concerns on the amount of money being spent by the council on this."
Due to the division in chambers, the matter of increasing the VE Day community budget was taken to a recorded vote.
A number of councillors from the 16 member committee had declared an interest with some as members of the Royal British Legion and were then required to leave the discussion and vote.
Both Sinn Fein members (Cllr McCleave and Daniel Bassett) voted against with SDLP rep, John Gallen abstaining. However, the vote was carried with a total of six in favour.
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