New boundary signage plans for 14 areas across Derry & Strabane

At this month’s Business and Culture Committee meeting, Head of Culture, Aeidin McCarter, reminded members that preliminary work and cost assessments for signage was carried out in 2017, but the project was paused due to a signage moratorium.

Ms McCarter said council’s capital team had identified 14 “strategically appropriate” sign locations on roads entering the district, and sought members’ approval for officers to undertake an updated audit of all the sites and obtain all required permissions to begin installation.

The original locations identified, pending updated audits and planning approvals, will be at Culmore Road at Muff, Buncrana Road at Bridgend, Letterkenny Road at Killea, A2 City of Derry Airport, A6, Glenshane Road and the A40 in Derry, and at Strabane Bridge at Lifford, Urney

Road at Clady, Scraghey Road, Drumquin, A5 Beltany Road at Newtownstewart, Culvacullion Road at Plumbridge and Glenelly Valley.

In compliance with Council’s trilingual language policy, signage will display English, Irish and Ulster-Scots.

Costs are not expected to exceed £14,000 and the budget has been allowed for in council’s Repair and Renewals Fund.

SDLP councillor Sean Mooney said boundary signs were “overdue” and asked when Officers expected them to be erected.

Ms McCarter said officers were in the process of appointing a contractor and there would be other “processes and procedures” to finalise, but she expected the project to be finished in the next three months.

Sinn Féin councillor Ruairi McHugh voiced concern about the proposed placement of signs as there were many cross-border roads connecting Counties Tyrone and Donegal, such as the Castlefin Road, which would benefit from them.

“Maybe I’ll have a conversation with officers about that,” he said. “But I think that’s something that could be looked at because to me there are not enough signs there.”

Ms McCarter said the list for sign placement was drawn up prior to 2017 and will be reviewed by the contractor.

She concluded: “If any [members] have any comments or suggestions for roads that do need to be covered we’re happy to look at those.”

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter.