The planning committee of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has recommended approval for Irish language street signs at two locations in Portadown, sending the matter to a full council meeting on July 27.

The applications for bilingual signs at Corcrain Gardens and Ballyoran Hill met the required threshold after more than two-thirds of responded households indicated support. However, the proposals have drawn objections from loyal order groups associated with the nearby Corcrain Orange Hall.

At a committee meeting on July 1, DUP councillor Kyle Moutray said a legal workshop had clarified that the two-thirds threshold is advisory rather than binding. He cited objections from two Black Preceptories, an Orange Lodge, and a cultural association, which highlighted decades of division and violence in the area and argued the signs would create instability and a sense of intimidation in what is a shared space.

Alliance councillor Peter Lavery, who supported the signs, said the high threshold meant significant countervailing grounds would be needed to refuse. He argued that shared space does not require neutrality and that organisations should not dictate the character of an area. He added that approving the signs would place a bilingual sign close to an Orange lodge, which in his view reflects genuine shared space.

Sinn Féin councillor Paul Duffy said he did not believe a street sign would cause tensions and recommended accepting the application. Under council policy, members retain discretion to refuse requests even when the two-thirds test is satisfied.