Agenda item

To consider a report by Councillor Richard Mainon, Lead Member for Corporate Services and Strategic Direction (copy enclosed) seeking Cabinet approval of proposed changes to the Council’s Street Naming and Numbering Policy.

RESOLVED that Cabinet approve the following changes to the Street Naming and Numbering Policy –

(i)         all new streets are named in Welsh only, and

(ii)        the option to name streets after individuals be removed from the policy.

Councillor Richard Mainon, Lead Member for Corporate Services presented the report seeking Cabinet approval of proposed changes to the Council’s Street Naming and Numbering Policy together with the reasoning behind those changes.

A review of the policy had been carried out at the request of Performance Scrutiny Committee, with particular emphasis on ensuring it properly reflected the Council’s Welsh Language Policy and the Welsh Language Steering Committee had agreed to that approach.  Following consultation with the Council’s Welsh Language Officer and Welsh Language Commissioners Office it was recommended that all new streets be named in Welsh only.  Performance Scrutiny Committee had also raised the issue of the ability to name streets after people in light of recent examples of street names having to be changed.  In Denbighshire’s case there was more of an issue naming streets after individuals which had an emotive element and having also taken into account the views of the Armed Forces Covenant it was also recommended that the option to name streets after individuals be removed.

The following issues were raised during the ensuing discussion –

·         there was some debate about completely removing the option to name streets after individuals and whilst accepting the reasoning behind that recommendation Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill was reluctant to preclude the honouring of an exceptional individual citing Captain Sir Tom Moore as an example if he had been local to the area.  The current difficulties faced by officers in dealing with requests for naming streets after individuals and wider discussions on an individual’s relative worth was highlighted which was a highly emotive and sensitive issue.  The overall view was that the normalising of naming streets after individuals should be removed and a presumption in the policy not to include that option.  However it was accepted that the Council had the option to vary the policy for exceptional cases to allow the honouring of an extraordinary individual which was considered the best way forward

·         in response to a question from Councillor Tony Thomas regarding the traditional approach of naming streets after particular organisations or sponsors, Councillor Mainon stated his personal preference that streets be named with a view to describing the locality and reflecting its cultural and historical significance in line with the general principles of the policy

·         Councillor Graham Timms highlighted initial problems caused in translation of the English policy into Welsh and in response to questions the Performance and Systems Administrator: (1) confirmed that a suggested list of street names had been included in the policy but the list was not definitive and ‘Heol’ would definitely be considered, (2)  agreed to ask the Welsh Language Officer to revisit Section 1.12 on development block names to ensure the most appropriate prefixes were used in the Welsh language translations, and (3) advised that use of the word “flat” and “apartment” had been based on an historic definition

·         Councillor Arwel Roberts had initially requested the policy be considered by scrutiny and he congratulated the Lead Member and officers on the work undertaken.  He reiterated the importance of Welsh place names which were part of the heritage and culture of the area and needed to be kept in perpetuity

·         the Leader highlighted the importance of ensuring that developers were made aware of the new policy at an early stage in the planning process in order to provide a clear understanding of the policy requirements at the outset.

RESOLVED that Cabinet approve the following changes to the Street Naming and Numbering Policy –

(i)         all new streets are named in Welsh only, and

(ii)        the option to name streets after individuals be removed from the policy.