Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Council facing legal action over Irish street sign refusal

Google Street View of Woodside Hill in Portadown

Judicial proceedings have been lodged against Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) Borough Council, over the local authority’s decision to reject an application for bilingual street signage at Woodside Hill in Portadown.

According to Irish-language body, Conradh na Gaeilge, the request was turned down despite overwhelming support for the move – one that would have made history, as Woodside Hill would have become the borough’s first-ever street to have bilingual signage.

When contacted, a spokesperson for ABC Council stated: “Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the council cannot comment further at this stage.”

Conradh na Gaeilge said: “Under the council’s procedural criteria for their dual language street signage policy, applications must be supported by a petition from 33% of residents supporting the application and at least 66%+ (⅔+) support from residents on the electoral register (…).

“The application obtained the required support and was deemed valid, with at least 64 resident votes in favour and only three residents voting against. When presented to ABC’s planning committee on October 4, 2023, the application was rejected.

“This decision was upheld at a meeting of the full council on October 23, 2023 on a vote of 19-21. Throughout this entire process, all council proceedings and decisions relating to this application were conducted in secrecy, under confidential council business.

“No information or explanations were provided on the reasoning of why the decision-making process was conducted behind closed doors.”

The applicant, Iris Hagan, said: “We were extremely disappointed and disheartened to learn of the council’s decision to refuse our application for bilingual signage.

“As a grandparent of Irish-speaking children attending the local Gaelscoil, I only see the addition of bilingual signage to Woodside Hill as an opportunity to enrich our already diverse community.

“We worked extremely hard on getting this application over the line, going door-to-door, encouraging residents to respond to the survey.

“We were optimistic from our conversations on the doors that our application would be successful, and that we would become the first street in the council area to obtain bilingual signage. Unfortunately, it seems that our efforts have been in vain.”

Gavin Booth, of Belfast law firm Phoenix Law, said he could not understand the council’s stance in this matter.

“The decision of ABC Council to refuse to erect a bilingual street sign in Woodside Hill flies in the face of the express and overwhelming majority views of the residents,” he said.

“Every aspect of the ABC Council’s procedure for considering this application was shrouded in secrecy, and it is our view that there is no justification for this secrecy by the council.

“At this stage there has been no adequate justification as to why local councillors chose to hold these meetings in secret, and secondly why they refuse to set out proper reasoning for refusing to comply with the law and the wishes of the residents.”

Sinn Féin Portadown Councillor Paul Duffy claimed that the ABC Council had breached its own policy criteria in relation to the bilingual sign request. He said: “[The] application for bilingual street signage (…) met the policies criteria for bilingual signage. Despite the application meeting all criteria it was rejected. It is disappointing that a resident has been forced to take legal action against our local council over a bilingual street signage application that met all criteria.”

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