Letter: Clear message from residents is that they are strongly opposed to dual signage at Olympia Leisure Centre
A letter from Billy Dickson:
The decision of Belfast City Council’s strategic policy and resources committee to approve bilingual Irish/English signage for south Belfast’s Olympia Leisure Centre has already caused considerable anger throughout the local community, which is largely unionist.
It is feared, as stated many times that if the decision by the committee is ratified at the full council meeting next month, it will cause considerable damage to community relations.
The Blackstaff Residents’ Association, which holds its monthly meetings at Olympia Leisure Centre, sent a 3,644 word written response to Belfast City Council’s Equality & Diversity Unit on the 15th September 2023, objecting to the proposal to have dual language signage at Olympia Leisure Centre and providing detailed reasons for objecting.
The residents’ association also organised an online petition which was signed by 2,612. Although a localised issue, it nevertheless resulted in a large number responding and the clear message from the residents in the local community, was that they were strongly opposed to dual signage at Olympia Leisure Centre.
Billy Dickson BEM, chair, Blackstaff Residents’ Association