‘Legal opinion’ sought as bilingual signage for Portadown street ‘repeatedly blocked’

Legal advice is to be sought after an application to erect street signage in Irish in a residential area of Portadown was once again turned down.

The residents of Woodside Hill had petitioned Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council for bilingual signage going forward.

Armagh I reported in December how the application – for a street which runs just off the Garvaghy Road – had been deemed “valid” under policy.

ABC Council had previously adopted a policy to deal with such naming requests, a process which required two stages, the first being a petition by residents.

And to have it accepted by council, it must be representative of “not less than one third of all occupiers of premises in the street for which the application is made”

The application had met the “requisite threshold”, ABC Council was told last year.

But it has now been approved.

Indeed, Sinn Féin has accused “some parties” on council of a continued move to “once again block” the application.

The party said the application for bilingual street signage met all of the council requirements and said the actions of those “repeatedly trying to block” the bid was “extremely disappointing”.

A Sinn Féin spokesperson said: “This application met all of the council’s requirements for a bilingual application and was passed at the planning committee, yet it has been blocked at every step since.

“A legal opinion will now be sought to try and resolve this matter.

“For parties to force such costly legal proceedings at a time when we must ensure public money is spent fairly and responsibility is totally reprehensible.

“Signage that carries both languages is a positive, inclusive step for the district and the decision to block it is totally senseless.”