The North's Parades Commission last night ruled that next Sunday's Orange Order parade to Drumcree church will be banned from entering the nationalist Garvaghy Road area.
The commission also imposed other restrictions on the march by the Portadown Orange District which include preventing marchers from entering the nationalist Obins Street at the start of the parade.
In reaching its decision, the commission said plans to have an Orange march a week before the traditional Orange Order Drumcree parade could be seen as an attempt to raise tensions in the Portadown area.
The decision to reroute the latest Orange parade is sure to arouse further loyalist anger and resentment in the run-up to the main Drumcree march on Sunday, July 9th, and the Orange Order's Twelfth of July celebrations.
The Portadown Orange District is due to hold a press conference in its Carlton Street headquarters later this afternoon to respond to the commission decision.
Last night its press officer, Mr David Jones, declined to comment on the decision, saying district officers would respond in full at today's press conference.
However, the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition said the commission decision to reroute next Sunday's parade was to be welcomed. A spokesperson said: "By properly applying the statutory criteria, it is obvious that the commission could not have reached any other decision.
"We also note that the commission also has made direct reference to the adverse impact which the march out to Drumcree is having upon the local community".
It is expected that a massive security operation, involving hundreds of police supported by the British army, will be mounted in Portadown on Sunday to enforce the commission ruling.