The Parades Commission has imposed restrictions on the Apprentice Boys, banning them from walking along the mainly nationalist lower Ormeau Road.

The Belfast Walker Club had submitted an application for 7 November to parade from Ballynafeigh Orange Hall along the Ormeau Road, across Ormeau Bridge and onwards to Donegall Pass.

The parade has not been permitted to proceed down this part of the road since 1999.

The commission received submissions from a number of groups and individuals, including the organisers, residents of the lower Ormeau Road and the wider area as well as the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and political parties.

It said allowing the parade to proceed along the proposed route would cause significant disruption to the local community, with the potential for disorder and harm to community relations.

A protest involving 1,500 participants had also been notified to take place at Ormeau Bridge at the same time.

In its determination made on Thursday, the commission said the loyalist parade "is prohibited from crossing Ormeau Bridge at its junction with Annadale Embankment, or from entering that section of Ormeau Road between the junction of Ormeau Bridge and Annadale Embankment and the junction of Ormeau Road and Havelock Bridge."

It also said police had highlighted increased tensions over parading following recent events at Garvaghy Road in Portadown, as well as sectarian attacks on memorials in the lower Ormeau Road area.

The organisers of the parade told the Parades Commission that "they would like to have an agreement with residents of the Lower Ormeau Road, whereby all cultures are respected".

Lower Ormeau Concerned Community (LOCC) spokesperson Gerard Rice said many people had been in touch to express their relief at the decision.

"Following the recent events at Drumcree there was a natural concern that the Parades Commission might get it wrong," he said.

"We hope that today's decision will be maintained through the year ahead."

The local residents' group, previously joined others in expressing support for those living on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown.

In a joint statement, the groups, which also included representatives from the Bogside in Londonderry and Crumlin Road and Ardoyne Residents Association in Belfast, said they had developed "accommodations" around Orange Order parades in their respective areas.

"Our concern is that such accommodations could unravel if the Orange Order continue to insist on parading down Garvaghy Road, or indeed pursue the same demands in other nationalist/Catholic areas," they said at the time.

Sinn Féin assembly member Deirdre Hargey said that Thursday's "decision is the correct one".

"There was never any basis or justification for taking the community of the lower Ormeau Road back 27 years."