A proposed commemorative stone for Northern Ireland's centenary has faced five years of delay despite passing equality checks, prompting an Ulster Unionist Party leader to call for an immediate end to the obstruction.

Jon Burrows MLA said the stone was intended to mark the 100th anniversary of Northern Ireland and sit among other historic symbols on the Stormont estate. The monument has been through proper equality screening and was found to have no adverse impact, but a campaign of planning objections has held up its installation.

Mr Burrows accused Sinn Féin of orchestrating the objections, describing them as a coordinated effort that showed contempt for unionist identity. He contrasted this with what he called unionist respect for nationalist symbols, noting that an ash tree was planted at Stormont to mark the GAA's 125th anniversary without obstruction, even though some unionists had reservations about the organisation's links to commemorating IRA members.

The UUP leader also argued that Sinn Féin had previously defended the erection of a Bobby Sands statue without planning permission and other memorials to republican paramilitaries that faced little planning scrutiny. He claimed the current obstruction revealed hypocrisy in how the planning process was being used.

Mr Burrows urged that the stone be erected without further delay, stating that mutual respect required actions rather than words.

The Northern Ireland Centenary Stone was conceived as a tribute to the creation of the state in 1921. After five years, its fate remains tied to the planning system.