A Green Party amendment, to go ahead with dual language signage for Onslow Gardens and the other four streets, but not to go ahead with Stormont Park, was successful
Onslow Gardens, Belfast
A street in East Belfast is to get an Irish/English dual language street sign, despite more residents voicing objection than support, while another street beside Stormont which had a similar reaction saw Irish signage voted down.
Belfast City Council sent out mixed messaging at its full monthly meeting on Wednesday (April 1) as it partly reversed a committee decision not to go ahead with Irish signs at Onslow Gardens off Cregagh Road, not far from George Best‘s house, and at Stormont Park off Upper Newtownards Road.
Both passed the required threshold of 15 percent, but in each case more people were against the new street signs than were in favour. After Wednesday’s deliberations, Irish signage now will go ahead for Onslow Gardens, but not for Stormont Park.
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At the March meeting of the Belfast City Council People and Communities Committee three weeks ago, a tight vote to exclude Onslow and Stormont from six applications for Irish street signs was only passed with a casting vote from the DUP Chair of the committee, Councillor Fred Cobain.
The committee received six applications for Irish language dual street signage, at Onslow Gardens, Stormont Park, Kimberley Street off Sunnyside Street and St Johns Place in South Belfast, and Indiana Avenue off Cavehill Road and Mountainview Drive in North Belfast.
All six passed the 15 percent threshold to erect the signs, but only Onslow Gardens and Stormont Park received more voices against than in favour. The council surveyed 115 people for Onslow Gardens and 83 for Stormont Park.
For Onslow Gardens, 29 occupiers, that is 25 percent, were in favour of the erection of a second street name plate, while 41 occupiers, that is 36 percent, were not in favour of the erection of a second street name plate.
For Stormont Park, 13 occupiers, that is 16 percent, were in favour of the erection of a second street name plate, while 56 occupiers, that is 67 percent, were not in favour of the erection of a second street name plate.
At the committee meeting, Alliance Councillor Jenna Maghie proposed granting approval for signs at Kimberley Street, St Johns Place, Indiana Avenue and Mountainview Drive, but not for Onslow and Stormont. A counter proposal by Sinn Féin Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly, that all six be approved, failed, after it was heard first. Councillor Maghie said the decision not to approve streets that had more people against than in favour, despite the 15 percent threshold, was “in line with what we have done previously.”
Nine councillors voted in favour of the Alliance proposal, from Alliance, the DUP and, while nine voted against the proposal, from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, and People Before Profit, and subsequently the Chair cast the deciding vote in favour of the Alliance proposal.
But at the full council meeting this week, Sinn Féin Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly forwarded an amendment to overturn the committee decision and have all six streets use the dual language signage. This amendment fell on a tight vote, with 28 in favour from Sinn Féin, the SDLP and People Before Profit, to 29 against, from the unionist parties, Alliance and the Green Party.
A Green Party amendment, to go ahead with dual language signage for Onslow Gardens and the other four streets, but not to go ahead with Stormont Park, was successful. 30 councillors voted in favour of this proposal, from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, the Green Party and People Before Profit, to 27 votes against from the unionist parties and Alliance. The Irish for Onslow Gardens is Gairdíní Onslow.
Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly said at the full council meeting: “There is no point in this council having a threshold to support a minority language if there are going to be constant attempts, each time one comes forward, to shy away when it is uncomfortable, and decisions have to be made. Each time we erect dual language signage, this increases the potential for visibility and good relations within this city.”
SDLP Councillor Séamas de Faoite said: “I am bemused that we are at this point again, where we are having a conversation about why it is that people have to assemble themselves into a majority to have their rights recognised in this city. I am frustrated that parties that say they are progressive and say they support a rights based agenda are going back on that position again.”
Green Party Councillor Anthony Flynn said: “In relation to Onslow Gardens, I am very happy to support it going ahead. It is very clearly well past the threshold. I do have concerns around Stormont Park.”
He said: “When we come to this street, we are talking about one vote, and I think it is pragmatic to use discretion on this very small and limited case. When it comes to data collection, that is a real concern to have, because I want to ensure everyone in the area can actually make their voice known when it comes to these surveys.”
He referred to a successful proposal made by Alliance Councillor Michael Long tasking officials to look at procedures surrounding Irish street sign consultation, after residents had raised concerns about the data collection process. A paper will be returned to the council specifically looking into concerns about relying on the electoral register when preparing surveys.
Councillor Michael Long said at the meeting: “I said it on the night this policy went through, that we would not be supporting any of the street signs in places where a majority of people who replied were against it. That’s been our consistent position, and indeed that was the position of the SDLP and Sinn Féin for the first two years in terms of the policy. They have changed their mind.”
He added: “I have been contacted by a couple of residents who live at Stormont Park who didn’t receive notification that this was happening. They did not receive a letter. They have lived on that street for three years, and they were not able to respond because of issues regarding the electoral register.”
DUP Alderman James Lawlor said: “I want to speak on behalf of the overwhelming majority of residents in Stormont Park who voted against the erection of the dual language signs. We already know the consequences of imposing this policy against residents’ wishes.
“In Shandon Park, this has caused increased tensions, vandalism, and an unnecessary focus on a peaceful residential street. If such a clear result can be ignored, what is the actual purpose of pretending to listen to residents when we are conducting these surveys.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Ciaran Beattie replied: “Street signs don’t cause criminal damage in the streets, it is criminals that cause the damage.”
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 in the chamber. Sinn Féin, Alliance, the SDLP, the Green Party, and the People Before Profit Party all supported the new street sign policy, while the three unionist parties, the DUP, UUP and PUP, were against it.
The current 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.
Before that, the policy required 33.3 percent of the eligible electorate in any Belfast street to sign a petition to begin the process, and 66.6 percent to agree to the new dual language sign on the street.
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