Road renaming concern

A letter and petition signed by householders to change the name of a portion of the Stewartstown Road in Coalisland to ‘Moss Road’ has been submitted to Council’s building control service.

The road in question links the Stewartstown Road and the Mullaghmoyle Road. The dwellings in question are currently numbered off the Stewartstown Road.

However, members of the committee were advised the road is known locally as Moss Road and the legacy Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council had erected nameplate signing to that effect.

As a result of this request committee members were asked to give approval to proceed with a street naming survey that would be sent to all applicable occupiers of each property as listed on the electoral register of the road in question.

Councillor John McNamee enquired about the threshold of favourable of responses required for the change of name to be approved and expressed concern about what it could mean for those with mortgages or other bills linked to their property.

“Do we need 100 per cent of surveys to be returned in favour for this to be approved,” said Cllr McNamee.

“My concern is with the difficulty this could pose for people who have mortgages on their properties and utility bills at the properties along this section of road if this address change was to happen.”

Council’s head of building control, Willie Wilkinson confirmed that current policy requires all residents who appear on the electoral register to agree to the change of name.

Councillor McNamee then enquired as to why the legacy council believed Moss Road to be the street name. He was told it was never officially changed and all the information relating to that stretch of road refers to it as the Stewartstown Road.

Councillor Trevor Wilson said he would know that stretch of road as Moss Road and agreed that residents would call it that but asked about the work that would be involved for residents should this become official.

“It is my understanding that were this to happen, people’s deeds would need to be changed, there is quite a bit of work involved in this and I am not sure people are fully aware of what needs to take place,” said Cllr Wilson.

“To simply put it out to survey and ask if they want it changed to Moss Road, I am not sure if that course of action would be doing justice for those people that live there.

“I am concerned about the issue of having to change deeds and a number of other things that residents may not be immediately aware of.”

Mr Wilkinson said he was of the belief the proposed change could have an impact on a “maximum of five houses” and said he would provide details to explain the implications of what residents would be agreeing to should they vote for this change.

These details would be sent to residents alongside the survey.

A proposal to send out the surveys along with the additional information as outlined by Mr Wilkinson, was put forward by Councillor McNamee and seconded by Councillor Niall McAleer.

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