The Northern Ireland Parades Commission yesterday ruled that Orangemen could parade to Drumcree on Saturday but banned them from parading back along the nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown.
The commission turned down the application, citing fears of violent disorder when thousands of Orangemen march through the Co Armagh town.
Up to 10,000 Orangemen are expected to parade through the centre of town to Drumcree on Saturday in the latest phase of their campaign orchestrated against the ruling last summer by the Parades Commission to bar them from their traditional route home.
Members of Portadown Orange Lodge have maintained a token presence outside Drumcree church since the July standoff.
The announcement follows a fresh initiative by the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, who has invited Portadown Orangemen and local nationalist representatives to a new round of proximity talks. A similar venture in the summer failed.
The Parades Commission said it decided to ban Orangemen from returning down the Garvaghy Road because the Orange Order had failed to reach an agreement with local nationalists in the months after the July standoff. While welcoming the Blair initiative, the Garvaghy Road Residents' spokesman, Mr Breandan Mac Cionnaith, said he was not optimistic the talks could resolve the situation since they would be taking place against the backdrop of a series of demonstrations over Christmas. According to Downing Street sources the talks could take place tomorrow but Mr Mac Cionnaith said they had not received any official notification of proposed talks.
Ms Dara O'Hagan, of Sinn Fein, appealed to Orangemen to cancel Saturday's parade.
One Portadown Orangeman said: "It's what we expected. The protest will continue until we get down that road."
The press officer for Portadown District Orange Lodge, Mr David Jones, has told troublemakers to stay away from Portadown on Saturday.