Bilingual street sign to be erected on a County Derry road after one resident sways vote

Irish and English Bilingual signage will be erected on a south Derry street after a single resident replied in favour of it.

Cairn View in Mayogall will receive a new sign after only one area resident voted in favour of the move. This translated into a 100% majority in favour.

10 survey letters were issued by Mid Ulster District Council regarding the signs. The survey is in keeping with the relevant policy on bilingual street signage requests. Nine out of the ten residents didn’t respond. 

The Mid Ulster District Council area is by far the worst for vandalism of dual language street signs, with two thirds of over 300 attacks in Northern Ireland since 2020 happening there. The 209 attacks have cost ratepayers there more than £21,000.

In accordance with Mid Ulster District Council’s policy, all occupiers as listed on the electoral register residing in the above area were canvassed by post.

As a result of this news other areas in the Mid Ulster District Council area have requested their own surveys on the topic of bilingual street signage.

Last month, the council’s Environment Committee discussed the damage to 209 bilingual signs in the borough saying,

“I think we need to be sitting down with the police early in the New Year, because as far as I’m aware no one has ever been arrested or charged with any of this,” said Sinn Fein councillor John McNamee.

“If you look at the figures right across the different areas, it seems to be some sort of orchestrated campaign here.”