Bid to build Irish signs over four miles of unionist area fails: More than 800 surveys issued in attempt that was predicted to be 'waste of time and money'
A controversial bid to build Irish signs on an overwhelmingly unionist four-mile route through east Belfast has been rejected by the people of the area.
City council staff had warned that the very act of surveying that part of Northern Ireland’s capital could spark trouble, but politicians went ahead with it anyway.
The move could have seen Upper Newtownards Road, which links several overwhelmingly unionist areas as well as running past Stormont and the Ulster Hospital, have dual language signage in both Irish and English placed along its multiple-mile length.
Ahead of the decision to issue surveys for the signs, the DUP predicted the move would be a massive waste of time and money, while council officials warned it could provoke an upsurge in “community tension”.
A total of 814 surveys were sent to homes along the route, which runs from close to the former site of Connswater Shopping Centre through Ballyhackamore and on towards Dundonald on the outskirts of the city.
A report to be presented to the council this week reveals that 81 people were in favour of adding Irish signs, while 192 were against and 12 had no preference.
That equates to less than 10% of the road wanting signs in Irish, while almost one-quarter stand opposed to them.
The council’s system states that if at least 15% of a given street is in favour of dual language signs, then they should be built. Upper Newtownards Road hasn’t met that threshold.
Over recent months Sinn Féin has repeatedly tried to push through Irish signs on streets that failed to hit the 15% mark – mainly, though not exclusively, in nationalist areas where there were few to no objections.
It’s unlikely the party would try to do the same on Upper Newtownards Road, where the language bid both missed the threshold and more than twice as many people are against it as back it.
The majority of people on Upper Newtownards Road don’t appear to have responded to the surveys, which is common when the council sends out sign polls.
It only takes a single resident or politician asking for dual language signs to trigger surveys. Last year DUP councillor Sarah Bunting said the Upper Newtownards Road case shows the system “allows for a huge waste of money and staff time”.