Monmouthshire council's English-only street sign policy failed to comply with the Welsh Language Commissioner's standards, it has been found. This comes after the commissioner received complaints from members of the public following the county council's decision to change their street numbering and naming rules.
Monmouthshire Council's original policy stated that English-only names on road signs would be translated into Welsh if a new sign was needed or replaced. According to the Welsh Language Commissioner, Welsh translation was not made the official name for the street however, as the Council noted that it would be a "very time consuming and costly procedure".
The county council conducted a report which recommended that replacement or additional signs on existing streets be kept English-only. The report also suggested that including a Welsh place name could lead to a "dangerous delay" if it did not officially exist in the National Land and Property Gazetteer - an initiative used by emergency services to find a location.
