Ulster Scots signs 'deserve crack of the whip' as Sinn Fein move delays first four streets

This week the council was set to kickstart processes that could have resulted in Ulster Scots signs being built on four streets – three in heavily unionist parts of east Belfast, and one in the north of the city.

If successful, they would be the first time Belfast has erected dual language signage in anything other than Irish in the three years since signs started being commissioned under the council’s current system.

But all four have been set back by Sinn Fein, who demanded the local authority scrap time limits restricting how soon failed Irish language bids can be relaunched.

Under the current system, at least 15% of a street’s residents have to back a request for dual language signs in order to build them. If an application fails to meet that threshold, officials say best practice is to wait at least two years before another request for the same language will be considered – but Sinn Fein disagree.

All four streets that could get Ulster Scots signs have already been surveyed for them in Irish and failed to hit 15%. Two of them saw additional requests for Irish signs filed before the Ulster Scots applications; Sinn Fein argue those other Irish sign requests have to be tackled first, even though the language has already failed.

During a meeting this week, both the Greens and the DUP raised concerns about delays to Ulster Scots, pointing out that since 2023 the only dual language sign applications that have been dealt with are in Irish.

Said Green councillor Anthony Flynn: “Since the policy has been in force, we haven’t actually seen any movement on Ulster Scots applications. People within that community who want them certainly deserve a fair crack of the whip.”

He added there’s “no need” for multiple applications asking for the same language on a single street, suggesting they’re part of the reason for massive backlogs in the council’s system and should be consolidated into a single request.

DUP councillor Sarah Bunting came from a similar position, stating Sinn Fein’s rule change would “slow down things for people who are waiting their turn”, adding some Ulster Scots applications “are sitting there, and have been sitting for quite some time”.

Belfast’s director of planning and building control, Kate Bentley, said officials received “a significant amount of applications in Irish” in the early days of the current system, but are now “getting to the point where we are going to be considering some Ulster Scots applications”.

“We’re working through how we look to translate those [with] different working groups,” she added. “We will be seeing those applications coming forward very soon.”

The council deferred a decision on Sinn Fein’s rule change to a later date, pending more information. That has also set back the four Ulster Scots applications.

The current system started commissioning dual language signs in March 2023. More Irish signs have been approved since then than in the 24 years a previous, much tougher policy was in place.

Under the old system, three Ulster Scots signs were approved; under the current policy, none have been.