By 
RESIDENTS of two large housing estates in Omagh have shown little interest in having Irish language street signs erected in the area.
Letters were recently sent to 261 properties at Culmore Park and O’Kane Park asking for residents’ opinions after an application was made to have new dual language signs put up in the areas.
Only 26 households responded to the letter – the majority of which were in favour of the proposed new signs.
However, this did not meet Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s threshold of 15% of residents having to be in support of dual language signs in order for them to be approved.
A number of other areas in the council region, however, did meet the threshold for new Irish street signs.
In total, applications were recently made to the council for new street signs in 10 different areas.
In Tyrone, these were Ashbourne View, Coolnagard Heights, Brookmount Road, Culmore Park and O’Kane Park in Omagh and Shannaragh Road and Curly Road near Dromore.
In Fermanagh, applications were made for Rockfield Gardens in Belleek, Cahore View in Ederney and Finn Park in Roslea.
The applications can be made by a resident of an area, a local councillor or a property developer.
For the signs to be erected, at least 15% of residents living in the area who respond to a council survey must be in support of the new signs.
While this threshold was met for six of the roads put forward in the new applications, the response from residents on the other two areas, including Culmore Park and O’Kane Park, did not meet the threshold.
The threshold was also not met at Curly Road and Finn Park.
The council has now recommended erecting the new Irish language signs in the six areas where the threshold was met.
A report on the latest dual language sign applications is due to be discussed at a meeting tomorrow of the council’s Environmental Services committee.
If the recommendation is approved at the meeting, there will be 27 new signs erected in the six areas, at a cost of £500 per sign.
One of the roads, Brookmount Road in Omagh, is set to get 17 Irish language road signs, at a total cost of £8,500.
A report before tomorrow meeting states the council approved a budget of £150,000 in February 2025 for the 2025/26 financial year for the installation of dual language signage.
The budget also covers the cost of replacement of damaged signs.
The report states a further budget of £20,000 has been allocated to support the in-year administrative work involved in assessing requests for dual language signage.
