SIX principles for an overall agreement between concerned residents' groups across the North and the Loyal Orders who march in those areas have been set out by three residents' groups in nationalist areas.

The three groups which have united to form a joint negotiating stance the Bogside Residents' Group, the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community and the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition (LOCC) - held a press conference in Belfast to make their case for a comprehensive agreement on contentious marches.

Mr Donncha Mac Niallais, of the Bogside Residents' Group, said that all the local disputes and conflicts over parades arose because there was no overall agreement. And, as the Garvaghy Road - crisis had shown, it only took one local march to affect everybody in the North.

"We want the entire matter sorted [out] once and for all", he said.

Mr Mac Niallais, who was joined at the press conference by Mr Breandan Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road group and Mr Michael Goodman, of the LOCC, pointed out that the Orange Order, the Apprentice Boys and the Royal Black Institution were organised across the North.

On the occasion of a big parade such as that of the Apprentice Boys in Derry in August, the three men stressed, there are generally associated smaller parades in a range of mainly nationalist villages and districts - such as Dunloy, Co Antrim, Bellaghy, Co Derry, and the Lower Ormeau Road in Belfast.

These are occasioned as local Orangemen parade in the morning from Orange Hall to church or to rendezvous points for buses to journey to the larger parade centre, and they generally parade locally again on their return in the evening.

The first of the six principles set out by the three residents' groups yesterday declares that the Public Order legislation is a totally inadequate way of dealing with the issue of parades. The Orange Order shares this view.

Principle No 2 sets out that: "People have the right to march, but that right is not unconditional and must be exercised with consideration for the rights and sensitivities of others."

No 3 says: "The residents of areas through which parades intend to pass have the right to withhold their consent to parades if they feel the parades are offensive. If that consent is not given, then march organisers must seek alternative routes."

No 4 states: "In general, people should have the right to parade in the commercial centres of villages, towns and cities. However, loyalist parades should avoid villages and towns which are overwhelmingly nationalist and nationalist parades should avoid villages and towns which are overwhelmingly loyalist or unionist."

No 5 says: "Traditional march routes can and will change over time to take into account demographic changes in the population living along those routes.

The final principle says: "March organisers must give assurances about the behaviour of marchers and must ensure that sectarian provocation is avoided. Permission for future marches should be dependent on those assurances being fulfilled."

Meanwhile, it was learned that the Bogside Residents' Group will have another meeting with the Derry Apprentice Boys organisation tomorrow.