The Orange Order has declared it will not negotiate to resolve the long-running conflict over marching routes near Drumcree Church.

A group of members gathered in Portadown last week after a court addressed a parading disagreement that had persisted for nearly three decades.

During their meeting, representatives stated that any future application for permission would involve walking along Garvaghy Road on the return journey from the service at Drumcree Church.

Garvaghy Road is predominantly used by residents of nationalist background.

The Parades Commission acknowledged a procedural flaw in its handling of the annual request to march along this section of Portadown's main street.

However, not all six commissioners on the public body had formally approved the final decision before it was released last month.

Legal representatives for a local Orangeman argued that the commission's recent ruling violated rights to freedom of belief and peaceful assembly under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The legal team suggested the review should examine how the commission is governed and what laws regulate its operations.

Among those attending the Portadown gathering were DUP MP Carla Lockhart, DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley, TUV leader Jim Allister and loyalist activist Jamie Bryson.

Tensions had escalated in previous years when Order members walked to police barricades to protest restrictions on their movements.

Residents living along Garvaghy Road also took part in demonstrations against the proposed route changes.

The dispute originated from a 1998 ruling that prevented the Orange Order from using the end leg of its annual march on Garvaghy Road.