Irish signs agreed for two north Belfast streets where DUP attempted to block surveys

The erection of Irish language signs at two streets in north Belfast will go ahead despite attempts by the DUP to block surveys of residents.

At a recent Belfast City Council committee meeting, second street nameplates in Irish were approved for Mount Eagles Glen, Emersons Lane, Dunblane Avenue, Floral Gardens, Cardigan Drive, Thornberry Road and Mill Valley Road.

However, Oldpark DUP councillor Jordan Doran, made objections to council officers regarding signs for Dunblane Avenue and Cardigan Drive, both of which are in the Cliftonville area.

Councillor Doran has previously objected to dual-language street signs at Ballysillan Road, and to a residential development of 18 social housing units at Hillview Retail Park on the Crumlin Road.

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Regarding the Cliftonville applications, Councillor Doran stated: “Dunblane Avenue is a mixed and diverse community, and I have strong concerns that the proposal to add an Irish street name to Dunblane Avenue would have a strongly negative impact on community relations within the area.

“Cardigan Drive has a mixed and diverse community in and around it, and I have reservations that the proposal to add an Irish street name to Cardigan Drive would have a negative impact on community relations within and surrounding the area.”

Councillor Doran did not appear at the council’s People and Communities Committee during its last meeting, when the matter was dealt with. All seven streets were agreed without debate.

Last October the DUP failed in an attempt to block the two north Belfast streets from being surveyed for future Irish signage. The party highlighted the Dunblane Avenue request in particular and its proximity to the non-denominational Girls Model Secondary School, which draws many of its pupils from the Greater Shankill area.

At Dunblane Avenue, 25 occupiers (39.68%) were in favour of the erection of a second street name plate; two occupiers (3.17%) were not in favour, while  36 occupiers (57.14%) did not respond to the survey.

At Cardigan Drive, 52 of the 100 residents were in favour of a second street nameplate. Five occupiers were not in favour, while 43 did not respond to the survey.

In 2022, councillors agreed a new policy on dual language street signs would finally be implemented – 18 months after the policy was originally given the go-ahead.

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.