Agenda item

The Committee considered the following report:

 

“1.0     Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1       This report is provided in response to a request from a member at the P&C Committee meeting on 14th March 26 for more details to be provided for the dual language street sign application at University Street to review the decision taken to close the application.

 

            In addition, following the meeting of council on 5th May, survey figures are provided for all applications that did not meet the 15% threshold in favour of a proposal to erect dual language street signs, the list of which was provided at April P&C Committee.

 

2.0       Recommendation

 

            University Street

2.1

1.     Members are asked to consider the information provided and the survey results for the dual language street sign application for University Street which failed to meet the 15% threshold at street survey and either: -

(a)   Agree the application should remain closed; or 

(b)   Advise officers on any other course of action with regard to this application.

 

2.2      

2.     Members are also asked to note:

(a)   the results of the surveys that have been closed for all other applications failing to meet the 15% threshold of those in favour of a dual language street sign.

(b)   that applications failing to meet the 15% threshold will be included in future standard reports for information where applications are being considered by members.

 

  3.0     Main Report

 

            University Street

 

3.1       The dual language street sign application for University Street requesting a second language in Irish was received on 22nd September 2022. The request was made by Cllr McKeown who is member for the District Electoral Area of Botanic. A further application was received for the same street on 4th April 2025 from Cllr McKay.

 

3.2       The survey of occupiers on the street was conducted between23rd January 2025 and 7th February 2025.v

 

3.3       The full results of the survey are detailed in the table below with additional breakdown between domestic and non-domestic surveys as this was an issue raised in the discussion at Committee: -

 

Property Type	Surveys Delivered	Surveys returned	For	Against	No Preference
Domestic (Residents on the electoral list)	90	14	12	2	0
Non-Domestic	36	10	6	1	3
	Total	24	18	3	3
	Percentage		14.28%	2.38%	2.38

 

3.4       The policy on dual language street signs states as follows: -

 

            ‘If the minimum threshold of fifteen percent is not met, the Applicant will be given two weeks to advise the Council of any special circumstances in relation to the application. If such special circumstances relate to the processing of a survey, the Strategic Director of Place and Economy, in conjunction with the City Solicitor and Director of Legal and Civic Services will determine whether such exceptional circumstances exist to refer the matter to Committee. Where exceptional circumstances relate to matters other than the processing of a survey, the matter will be referred to Committee. If there are no special circumstances, the application will end.’

 

3.5       In accordance with the policy the applicant was advised by letter that the street failed to meet the 15% threshold and the applicant was given two weeks to provide details of any special circumstances pertaining to the application. This correspondence was issued on 27th February 2025 with a deadline of 14th March 2025. No correspondence detailing any special circumstances was received and the applications were closed.  

 

3.6       Members are further advised that the current policy states

 

            ‘The Council will retain a residual discretion to decide to erect or not to erect a street sign in a language other than English in certain circumstances. This will be done on a case-by-case basis. It may be appropriate to depart from the procedures in this policy when there are clear reasons for doing so. This may include considering:

 

 

            (a) the views of the Occupiers of the street.

            (b) the results of the initial assessment for the application, including any identified potential adverse impacts on equality, good relations and rural needs;

            (c) consideration of the local context of the application;

            (d) any other Council policies or strategies related to the application; and

            (e) all material considerations relating to the application’

 

            Other applications where support for the erection of dual language nameplates was less than 15%

 

3.7       In the report provided to People and Communities Committee in April a list of streets was presented where the support for the erection of dual language nameplates was less than 15%.  For noting, these are listed below at 3.10 and the results of the surveys carried out are provided for information.

 

3.8       Officers followed the policy for each of these applications, including consideration of any exceptional circumstances presented by a small number of applicants following the procedure as described in paragraph 3.4 above. 

 

3.9       None of these were deemed to be exceptional circumstances, and as such all applications were closed.

 

Street	Language	Surveys Issued	For	Against	No Preference
Belmont Avenue	Irish	121	10 (8.26%)	38 (31.40%)	2 (1.65%)
Belvedere Park	Irish	119	13 (10.92%)	33 (27.73%)	0
Burmah Street	Irish	70	10 (14.28%)	6 (8.57%)	0
Cherryvalley Gardens	Irish	83	6 (7.22%)	43 (51.80%)	1 (1.20%)
Clovelly Street	Irish	18	0	5 (27.77%)	0
Colinvale	Irish	246	35 (14.23%)	0	0
Cooke Mews	Irish	4	0	0	0
Eliza Street	Irish	1	0	0	0
Fortwilliam Grange	Irish	65	5 (7.69%)	10 (15.38%)	4 (6.15%)
Friendly Way	Irish	30	4 (13.33%)	0	0
Hawthornden Road	Irish	91	1 (1.09%)	46 (50.54)	7 (7.69%)
Isoline Street	Irish	78	3 (3.85%)	23 (29.49%)	0 (0%)
Kent Street	Irish	42	2 (4.76%)	1 (2.38%)	0
King Street	Irish	76	3 (3.9%)	0	0
Knightsbridge Park	Irish	95	8 (8.42%)	47 (49.47%)	3 (3.15%)
Leganoe Street	Irish	6	0	0	0
Lismain Street	Irish	53	7 (13.20%)	11 (20.75%)	0
Loopland Drive	Irish	148	17 (11.48%)	63 (42.56%	1 (0.67%)
Magdala Street	Irish	24	1 (4.16%)	0	0
Marsden Terrace	Irish	12	1 (8.33%)	0	0
McAuley Street	Irish	101	10 (9.90%)	0	1 (0.99%)
Melrose Street	Irish	91	7 (7.69%)	3 (3.29%)	0
Mill Pond Glen	Irish	83	8 (9.63%)	0	0
Mount Merrion Avenue	Irish	362	33 (9.12%)	120 (33.15%)	4 (1.10%)
Queens Road	Irish	339	16 (4.71%)	11 (3.24%)	2 (0.58%)
Ravenhill Reach	Irish	35	2 (5.71%)	4 (11.42%)	0
Shaftesbury Avenue	Irish	90	13 (14.44%)	0	0
Skegoneill Avenue	Irish	242	29 (11.98%)	43 (17.76%)	1 (0.41%)
Stewart Street	Irish	77	6 (7.79%)	0	1 (1.29%)
Sunningdale Gardens	Irish	145	3 (2.07%)	64 (44.14%)	0
Victoria Road	Irish	173	7 (4.05%)	64 (36.99%)	1 (0.58%)
Wellesley Avenue	Irish	123	9 (7.32%)	3 (2.44%)	1 (0.81%)

 

3.10     It is proposed that any applications where the 15% threshold has not been met will now be included for information on an ongoing basis in future dual language street sign reports being brought to People and Communities Committee.

 

3.11     It should be noted that following deferral from the Committee in April 2026, a further report on how any duplicate applications for dual language street signs for the same streets that have been closed will be brought to the next committee in June.

 

            Financial and Resource Implications

 

3.12     There are no financial or resource implications if the decision is taken to confirm the current closure of this application. There may be financial and resource implications on any other decision dependent on the decision taken.  

 

            Equality or Good Relations Implications/

            Rural Needs Assessment

 

3.13     The application for University Street was subject to an initial assessment and an elected member notification process to identify any potential adverse impacts on equality, good relations and rural needs in relation to the carrying out of the survey.

 

3.14     The initial assessment and elected member notification carried out for the application did not identify any potential adverse impacts to prevent the survey being carried out.”

 

Proposal

 

            Moved by Councillor Verner,

            Seconded by Councillor Doran,

 

            That the Committee agrees that the application for a dual language street sign for University Street remain closed since the application has failed to meet the 15 per cent support threshold as set out within the policy; that no special circumstances relating to the results of the survey have been drawn to the attention of the Council; and, as such, there exists no reason for the Committee to deviate away from the agreed policy.

 

Amendment

 

Moved by Councillor Magee,

Seconded by Councillor M. Donnelly,

 

            That the proposal be rejected and, accordingly, the Committee agrees to exercise the residual discretion set out within the policy and approve the dual language application for University Street; and, in addition, exercise further the residual discretion and approve the applications for the following streets, viz.,  Colinvale, Friendly Way, McAuley Street, Mill Pond Glen, Shaftesbury Avenue and Stewart Street, given that none of the residents within the streets surveyed expressed opposition to the erection of dual language street signs within the responses received.

 

On a vote, ten Members voted in favour of the amendment and nine against and it was declared carried. Accordingly, the amendment was adopted as the substantive motion without recourse to a further vote.