Four streets in West Belfast will have new Irish language signage, as the council’s new policy for dual language signage begins to action new signs after months of delay.
Belfast City Council ’s People and Communities Committee this month agreed new Irish signage for Lake Glen Drive, off Falls Road at BT11, Lagmore Dale, off Stewartstown Road at BT17, at Iris Walk, off Springfield Avenue at BT12, and at Abyssinia Street, off Leeson Street at BT12.
In the nine months since Belfast City Council policy on dual language street signs was changed to make thresholds easier, over 400 applications have been made for Irish street signs - with only four having been processed before the signs approved in this April's committee.
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Lake Glen Drive will also have the Irish name Céide Ghleann an Locha. 18 occupiers (25 percent) were in favour of the erection of a second street nameplate, while 54 occupiers (75 percent) did not respond to the survey.
Lagmore Dale will also have the Irish name Gleanntán an Laig Mhóir. 152 occupiers (37 percent) were in favour of the erection of a second street nameplate, while two occupiers (1 percent) had no preference either way. 260 occupiers (62 percent) did not respond to the survey.
Iris Walk will also have the Irish name Siúlán na Seileastar. 13 occupiers (43 percent) were in favour of the erection of a second street nameplate and 17 occupiers (57 percent) did not respond to the survey.
Abyssinia Street will also have the Irish name Sráid na hAibisíne. 5 occupiers (21 percent) were in favour of the erection of a second street nameplate and 19 occupiers (79 percent) did not respond to the survey.
The translations were authenticated by Queens University, the approved translator for Belfast City Council. There will be a cost of approximately £1,650 to cover the cost of the manufacturing and erection of the dual language street signs.
The council report states: “Each application for a dual language street sign is subject to an initial assessment for any potential adverse impacts on equality, good relations and rural needs.”
Last July councillors agreed the new dual language signage policy would finally be implemented - 18 months after the policy was originally given the go-ahead in the chamber. Sinn Féin, Alliance, the SDLP, the Green Party, and the People Before Profit Party all support the new street sign policy, while the three unionist parties, the DUP, UUP and PUP, are against it.
The new policy means at least one resident of any Belfast street, or a councillor, is all that is required to trigger a consultation on a second nameplate, with 15 percent in favour being sufficient to erect the sign. Non-responses will no longer be counted as “against” votes, and there will be an equality assessment for each application.
Up until last July, the policy required 33.3 percent of the eligible electorate in any Belfast street to sign a petition to begin the process, and 66.6 percent to agree to the new dual language sign on the street.
A maximum of five signs was agreed to be processed each month according to councillor information. This will be suspended in order to catch up with delivery deficiencies and demand from last year.
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