More than 8,000 pallets valued at around £130,000 are due to go up in smoke when a controversial Eleventh Night bonfire is torched in later this week industry insiders have told the Irish News.
However, the eye-watering cost of the monster-pyre at Craigyhill in Larne, Co Antrim, is set to be dwarfed by the environmental impact amid concern that more than 800,000 nails could be left after the pyre is set alight.
Safety concerns have also been raised about the bonfire, which is close to where John Steele (36) lost his life after falling from a pyre in the Antiville area of Larne two years ago.
Building work on the towering Craigyhill pyre, which organisers say stretches to more than 200ft high, was completed in recent days.
The bonfire has made headlines in recent years over attempts by the organisers to set an official world record for height.
Their hopes were dashed last year when Guinness World Records confirmed it would not send an adjudicator to the event.
The current world record is more than 198ft, for a pyre built in Austria.
Organisers claim they topped that height last year, although it is not recognised as an official world record.
Over recent months loyalists have built thousands of pallets in a green area close to dozens of houses.
Telescopic equipment and a crane have been used to hoist thousands of pallets to the summit of the giant pyre.
While the bonfire has made headlines due to its height, mystery surrounds how the mountain of material used to construct the bonfire is acquired - and significantly - who bears the cost.
Sources with knowledge of the pallet industry say that the total value of the material placed on the single pyre is more than £130,000.
All other bonfires across the north also use similar pallets for their bonfires.
The value of pallets belonging to one company alone is estimated to be more than £77,000 for the single pyre.
Many distinctive blue pallets, which can be seen each year on bonfires across the north, are thought to belong to an international supplier called Chep.
Sources say that of the 8,596 pallets estimated to be on the Craigyhill bonfire, around 3,470 are owned by Chep.
The remaining pallets on the pyre are thought to belong to a French pallet company, La Palette Rouge (LPR), as ’whites’.
Informed sources estimate 300 LPR pallets and 1,826 whites, are stacked onto the Craigyhill pyre.
Whites tend to be not as high quality and have a lower market value, costing around £10 each to replace.
This is significantly less than the ‘lost equipment charge’ for a Chep pallet, which is currently £22.25, and a LPR pallet, which costs around £22.00 to replace.
It is suggested there could be as many as 3,000 white pallets packed into the hallow centre of the Craigyhill tower.
If the £77,075 estimated value of Chep pallets are added to the LPR and whites estimates, the industry value of the pallets due to be set ablaze is a whopping £132,667, sources say.
In addition to the financial cost, the impact on the environment is expected to be significant.
Informed sources say that around 847,300 nails will be left behind when the Craigyhill bonfire is torched on Thursday night.
With an average of 126 nails per pallet, Chep’s blues are expected to account for 437,220 nails alone.
Earlier this year the Irish News revealed that hundreds of potentially toxic mattresses were delivered to Craigyhill site.
Bonfire builders later claimed the mattresses had been acquired for safety reasons.
The potentially deadly material has since disappeared from the site, however, it is not known if they have been used to help fill the centre of the pyre.
The majority of large-scale pallet providers, including Chep and LPR, operate a similar business models focusing on the hire of equipment, which is used to transport goods between two points.
Used pallets are later collected at the drop-off destination and reused as needed.
Sources familiar with the pallet industry say that the main international operators brand their property and retain legal title, meaning they will never be sold on.
They also say that the business model followed by the main providers raises questions as to how bonfire builders are able to acquire large numbers of pallets as they cannot be bought.
It is suggested that the financial loss of pallets placed on bonfires to the supply chain is ultimately passed on to consumers through a rise in cost to products sourced and shipped on the pallets.
East Antrim Alliance assembly member Danny Donnelly raised questions about the where the pallets are sourced.
“I would be interested to know where the pallets come from and I think we need to know that,” he said.
The assembly member said he has been contacted by worried residents.
“I continue to have concerns raised to me from worried residents about the height of some bonfires and the danger to people and property in the areas they are built,” he said.
“I would appeal to bonfire builders to take all precautions to make sure bonfires are as safe as they can be.
“Together as a community, we can ensure everyone has the best weekend possible by promoting safe, respectful, and lawful celebrations.”
Mr Donnelly said encouraged people taking part in events over the coming days to “remain safe and be respectful”.
“Everyone has the right to celebrate their own culture and heritage, and the 11th and 12th are a community celebration bringing friends and family together every year,” he said.
“However, I ask that bonfires this Thursday are carried out safely and that the health and safety of everyone are prioritised.”
Chep Pallets were contacted for comment.
