PLANS by an Orange Lodge to hold a public procession in Port Glasgow were unanimously given the green light by councillors this afternoon.

Inverclyde Council's general purposes board met today, Wednesday October 9, to discuss whether the precession could take place through Port Glasgow on Saturday, October 19.

And after a hearing that lasted for little under an hour, the board came a unanimous decision to allow the walk to go ahead, with no alterations to the initial proposal that was delivered at the beginning of September.

As a result of the precession being granted, participants under the supervision of stewards supplied by the orange order and a police presence, will gather at 2.45pm before proceeding along Boglestone Avenue, Ardmore Road, Springhill Road, Balfour Street, Shore Street, Princes Street, John Wood Street, Bay Street, Fore Street, and to the Cenotaph in ten days time.

The return procession will commence at 4.30pm and will proceed from Boglestone Community Centre, Dubbs Road and Boglestone Avenue with dispersal at the Orange Hall at Boglestone Avenue.

The event is on a much smaller scale than the major procession held in Inverclyde earlier this year, which saw thousands of Orange Order members hold a march in Gourock at the end of June. 

This time, around 60 people are expected to take part, with a flute band set to attend together with a bus.

Despite there being one official objection to the proposal, lodged by Port Glasgow West Community Council, after almost 20 minutes of deliberation it was unanimously agreed that the parade could go ahead without any changes.