Antrim and Newtownabbey council considering Irish street sign applications

Three new applications have been submitted to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council requesting Irish language street signs bringing the number under consideration to six.

The latest applications relate to Glenville Mews, Bawnmore Terrace and Mount Street in Newtownabbey.

At last month’s council meeting, the authority progressed applications for signs in Bawnmore Grove, Bawnmore Place and Newton Gardens to the next stage in the application procedure.

Councillors were told that residents signing these petitions meet the “one-third threshold as required within the approved policy” and have proceeded to stage two of the procedure for a residents’ canvass.

At a meeting this week, councillors were advised that the most recent applications also meet the threshold.

They were also told that one further application has been received but in line with council policy, a maximum of three applications per month can be processed on a “first come basis”.

It was agreed that a canvass of the residents of Glenville Mews, Bawnmore Terrace and Mount Street be approved following a recommendation by Glengormley Sinn Féin councillor Michael Goodman.

An application for dual language street signs must be supported by a petition representing at least one-third of residents and must have the backing of the local authority before it can proceed to the next stage of canvassing street residents.

The council’s Dual Language Street Sign Policy states that two-thirds or more of all those canvassed must indicate that they are in favour of the erection of a second language street sign before the application can be brought before the council for a decision.

Macedon Sinn Féin councillor Taylor McGrann commented on social media recently: “We will be working closely with residents to ensure that the process can go as smoothly as possible in order for us to be successful in achieving the first ever Irish street signs in Antrim and Newtownabbey.”

In January, a bid for an Irish language street sign in Newtownabbey was defeated due to insufficient community support.

The issue first arose in February 2018 when the council received a request from Abbeyville Residents’ Association for five Irish language street signs which was turned down after councillors voted in favour of a policy retaining street signs in English only.

However, in September 2018, the council was forced to do a U-turn after being challenged in the High Court by a resident who sought a judicial review over a “deeply held concern that the policy adopted by the borough council was unlawful”.

According to the 2021 census, 6.52 per cent of Antrim and Newtownabbey residents have some knowledge of Irish; 2.9 per cent can speak, read, write and understand Irish and 1,164 residents can speak Irish.