ABC: Churchill Gardens becomes second English-Irish signage approved development in borough

And while the matter was debated at length on previous occasions, the request was approved without discussion at last Monday’s (March 24) ABC Council meeting.

The move follows a crunch recorded vote which was taken on the issue at the March 5 Planning & Regulatory Services committee meeting.

Five committee members had chosen to abstain when the recorded vote was taken, while seven others had voted in favour of the recommendation for bilingual signage, paving the way for formal approval at last Monday’s council meeting.

Rules governing the provision of bilingual street signage are particularly strict in the ABC Borough. As per ABC’s Street Naming and Numbering Policy, a third of residents in any given area have to request bilingual signage in the first place.

If that first test is met, then all residents are canvassed, with a two-third majority required for a recommendation to be made for ABC councillors to approve bilingual signage – by virtue of it being a recommendation only, residents’ wishes can still be disregarded in the end, as councillors ultimately use their own discretion when ruling on such requests.

In addition, those deemed to object also include residents who did not express a view one way or the other.

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In the case of Churchill Gardens, 57 residents were surveyed, with a minimum of 38 responses in favour (two thirds) required for the request to be recommended.

Of the responses received, a total of 47 responses (82 per cent) were in agreement with the application request for dual language signage.

A total of 10 responses were deemed to object to the request – either because the residents in question had expressed opposition to bilingual signage, or through failure to respond.

Cllr Peter Lavery (Alliance, Lurgan DEA) had recommended that councillors use their discretionary powers to approve the request for dual-language signage, at the March 5 Planning & Regulatory Services committee meeting, his proposal being seconded by Cllr Paul Duffy (Sinn Féin, Portadown DEA).

Churchill Gardens – or ‘Gairdíní Churchill’ in Irish – has now become the second-ever area in the borough to be granted bilingual English-Irish street signage, after Woodside Gardens in Portadown.

It is also the third area in the borough to have met the criteria for such provision, the first one being Woodside Hill, Portadown.

Despite being recommended for approval, the request for dual-language signage was actually rejected at Woodside Hill – a controversial decision which is the subject of an ongoing Judicial Review.

François Vincent, Local Democracy Reporter