Churchill Gardens may get Irish language signs pending a council vote. Residents supported the dual language proposal.
Woodside Hill’s request failed earlier. That rejection faces a legal challenge now. ABC borough has strict bilingual sign rules.
A third of residents must ask first. Then, all residents get a survey. Two-thirds must agree for approval. Even then, council can still refuse. Those not responding count as objecting.
Churchill Gardens had 57 residents surveyed. 38 votes were needed for recommendation. 47 people agreed to dual language signs. Ten responses were deemed as objections. This includes unanswered surveys too.
Committee members spoke on February 5. Gareth Wilson urged caution in reviewing requests. He says they must consider everyone’s views fairly. Wilson thinks their policy is responsible. He wants correct decisions moving forward.
He cited problems with bilingual signs near Belfast’s M1. Wilson fears disharmony from those policies. He wants to avoid similar issues locally. He values responsible public representation.
Peter Lavery disagreed with Wilson’s comments. Lavery mentioned the ongoing Woodside Hill review. It upset residents who endorsed the application. The council’s decision may cost £100,000.
Lavery cited reputational damage and policy delays. Applications still get dragged out. Lavery wants the council to consider resident views. If the policy is met, they must endorse it.
He said they should give people what they want. He thinks they must act with integrity. They must deliver for their constituents. He said debates create disharmony.
Mary O’Dowd agreed with Lavery’s points. She said the council is getting bad headlines. This is because they keep rejecting requests.
Wilson responded that this is only their third request. He sees real-time disharmony elsewhere. He thinks the ABC policy works. Debate will continue on this issue. He said he will not shy away from it. He believes this debate is democracy.