Request for English-Irish street signs in Portadown development formally approved

A request for the provision of English-Irish street signs at a Portadown housing development narrowly met the ‘two-thirds majority’ test when residents were canvassed on the issue recently, and it has now been formally approved.

At least a third of residents at The Beeches had initially asked for the survey to be carried out, which meant that a first legal test had been met, as per Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council regulations.

In all, 251 residents of The Beeches were surveyed, with 177 householders responding to express support for English-Irish street signs in their area – just above the required two-thirds majority threshold (168 favourable responses) for the request to make it to decision stage, at an ABC Planning & Regulatory Services committee meeting held on September 3.

Cllr Paul Duffy (SF, Portadown DEA) proposed to approve the request, as councillors have discretionary powers to do so. Cllr Mary O’Dowd (SF, Lurgan DEA) seconded the proposal.

A total of 74 responses were deemed not to be in agreement. These included responses received which indicated that householders were not in favour of bilingual signage provision, and non-returns which are also deemed under ABC policy not to be in favour.

Cllr Kyle Moutray (DUP, Portadown DEA) asked for a breakdown of non-responses and duly returned responses indicating opposition to English-Irish street signs.

Head of Building Control, Tom Lavery replied: “I don’t have the exact details in front of me. There’s a small number of actual returns saying no.”

Cllr Moutray also requested a recorded vote. Voting in favour of English-Irish street signage at The Beeches were committee chair, Cllr Kevin Savage (SF), committee vice chair, Cllr O’Dowd (SF), Cllr Fergal Donnelly (SF), Cllr Duffy (SF), Cllr Peter Lavery (Alliance), Cllr Sorchá McGeown (SF) and Cllr John Óg O’Kane (SF).

Abstaining were Cllr Scott Armstrong (DUP), Ald Gordon Kennedy (UUP), Cllr Moutray (DUP) and Ald Gareth Wilson (DUP). No one voted against the request for bilingual street signage.