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Cornish, Cornwall's own language, is to witness a little but significant progress in public domain after the Council of Cornwall decided to include it in some of the street signs. The initiative will relate to street and road signs, which are mostly in English only, but not to direction or motorway signs. Cornish will only join English in new signs or signs that need to be replaced and therefore the changes will not incur any costs.

The measure is to be implemented as part of a plan approved by the government of Cornwall to promote Cornish, a language spoken by around 500 people -it has been considered a dead language until recently. Similar initiatives seek to include Cornish in official publications and the Council website.

Several politicians and columnists have said they are against the decision arguing "it is ridiculous and unnecessary" and "and there are not that many Cornish language speakers" (Morwenna Williams, Conservative party). David Salter, a Plymouth City Councillor said: "What next? Passports on the Torpoint Ferry (which crosses the county border) or border guards at Saltash (on the Cornish side of the border)?" However, there are also many supporters. For example, Graeme Hicks, the county's cabinet member for highways transport and planning, said: "We have got an obligation as a local authority to promote the language, and this is an ideal way of doing it."

Further information:

• BBC: Cornish to be put on street signs
• This is Cornwall.co.uk: Council divided over dual language signs
• Mail Online: Cornwall to introduce bilingual street signs (although just 300 people speak Cornish)