A controversial proposal to put Irish language signage at Olympia Leisure Centre in south Belfast has been put to public consultation.
In September 2021, a council committee passed a Sinn Féin proposal to erect bilingual external naming and internal directional signage at Olympia Leisure Centre by 12 members to six, with one abstention.
The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee also agreed that a report on linguistic accessibility at Lisnasharragh and Templemore Leisure Centres be submitted to a future meeting, and that a multilingual welcome sign be erected in the entrance/reception area of all leisure centres.
In January 2022, the decision was subjected to a successful `call-in' tabled by the DUP, effectively stalling the decision for further review.
The DUP then called for the decision to be scrapped altogether, but were told it would have to return to committee level again for elected members to consider the next move.
The Olympia Leisure Centre on Boucher Road is flanked on its north side by Tates Avenue and the Village, a majority loyalist area.
The 14 week consultation began on June 12, involving public information and engagement events both at Olympia Leisure Centre and online.