Olympia signage: consultation on Draft Equality Impact Assessment

Belfast aims to be a welcoming and inclusive city for all. In keeping with the Council’s long-term vision for the city, as set out in the Belfast Agenda, the Council’s Language Strategy for 2018-2023 aspires to create a place where linguistic diversity is celebrated and respected, and where those who live, work and visit Belfast can expect to access what Belfast has to offer, using forms of language with which they are familiar and comfortable.

The Language Strategy sets out the Council’s approach to service delivery so that we can accommodate linguistic diversity.

There are five work strands within the Language Strategy that address the needs and aspirations of the following language communities: Irish, Ulster Scots, Sign languages, new communities’ languages and languages and communications for disabled people.

Why We Are Consulting

We want Belfast to be a welcoming and inclusive city. Protecting and promoting different languages is part of that aspiration.

Belfast City Council carried out a consultation into the proposed erection of bilingual or multilingual external naming and internal directional signage at its four city wide leisure centres (Andersonstown, Olympia, Lisnasharragh and Templemore) in 2019 / 20. Following that consultation, the Strategic Policy & Resources Committee agreed to erect the bilingual signage, however, the Elected Members subsequently agreed to proceed with an Equality Impact Assessment on the erection of bilingual external naming and internal directional signage at Olympia Leisure Centre.

We are consulting on the Draft Equality Impact Assessment in relation to the Council proposal to erect bilingual signs at Olympia. The promotion of equality of opportunity and good relations are key principles within the delivery of the Language Strategy.

A Draft Equality Impact Assessment is available in the “Key Documents” section and hard copies are available upon request. An Equality Impact Assessment is a tool used by the Council to make sure that we meet our equality duties under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act. This means that when we are carrying out our functions, powers and duties, we have to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity:

• between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation
• between men and women generally
• between persons with a disability and persons without
• between persons with dependants and persons without

In addition, without prejudice to its obligations above, the Act requires that we have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group.

The Draft Equality Impact Assessment will be finalised after the consultation and an EQIA Final Decision Report will be produced. The Final Decision Report will be presented to our Elected Members, and they will consider it when they make a decision on the signage.

The Consultation Process

We are running this consultation over a 14-week period. A variety of quantitative and qualitative methods will be employed to ensure widespread and meaningful engagement. There are different ways you can get involved in the consultation. This is the opportunity for you to have your say. Everyone is welcome to fill out the online survey.

We are holding public information and engagement events both at Olympia Leisure Centre and online to give everyone an opportunity to provide feedback on the Draft Equality Impact Assessment in relation to the council proposal to erect bilingual external naming and internal directional signage at Olympia Leisure Centre.

These events will be held on:

Please register in advance for these events. The same content will be covered at each event, so you do not need to attend more than one.

The consultation and survey will run for 14 weeks and will close at midnight on Sunday 17 September. An online survey will be available here from 9am on Monday 12 June. The survey can be filled in in either English or Irish. Respondents are asked to only fill in one version of the survey. You can also send written comments to: The Equality and Diversity Unit, Belfast City Council, Room 117, City Hall, Belfast BT1 5GS or email consult@belfastcity.gov.uk