Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has approved bilingual street signage for Corcrain Mews in Portadown.

The decision came at a meeting of the council’s Planning and Regulatory Services committee on July 1. Councillors used their discretionary power to grant the request after 16 of 19 residents expressed support in a canvass, equating to an 82 percent super-majority.

The application had first required a petition signed by at least one-third of residents to trigger the formal survey. A single written objection argued that dual-language signs could limit the pool of potential future buyers for the address.

During the meeting, Alliance councillor Peter Lavery asked whether any other correspondence had been lodged. Head of Building Control Tom Lavery confirmed that no further communications had been received.

Portadown representative Kyle Moutray queried the vagueness of the lone objection and secured a brief recess for confidential legal advice. When the public session resumed, Sinn Féin councillor Paul Duffy moved approval, arguing that the clear will of residents should not be overridden by one unclear comment.

The motion was seconded by Sinn Féin councillor Chris McCartan and passed without a recorded vote.

The new signage will feature street names in both English and Irish, in line with the council’s policy on dual-language provision.