Cllr Stephen Reed

STREET NAMES ARE NOW WOKE

Yesterday Killamarsh Parish Council was approached to make comments or suggestions on potential street names for a building development in our village.

I suggested - by email - to the other councillors that given the anniversary of VE Day this year, it would be a good opportunity for the village to Honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for this nation, our freedom and democracy. It was supported across the political divide, and tabled for the next Full council meeting.

“STREETS CAN NO LONGER BE NAMED AFTER PEOPLE AS THEY MIGHT BE RACIST OR OWNED SLAVES” – Derbyshire Building Control Partnership

Today I called Derbyshire Building Control Partnership (DBCP) to check on rules and naming conventions to ensure Council is prepared for the submissions.

I was told we cannot use names of any kind. When I enquired as to why I was informed that it is policy guidance put out by Geo Place https://www.geoplace.co.uk/ (by all appearances a quango) and that DBCP have accepted that as policy. So now councils under their authority are bound to this policy.

When I enquired further, I was informed that following the BLM Protests The policy was adopted not to use names in case someone with the same name previously owned slaves, or in some way was considered Racist.

This directly contradicts DBCP’s own website. However, their own policy "DBCP-street-naming-and-numbering-policy-2022"; https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:e68482cf-323c-4cb3-9369-8a1338069bff – “4. Street Naming – Good practice when selecting a name.” – advises to “Avoid using names of people or commercial organisations.

I asked whether Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela or William Wilberforce would be acceptable and was told no. Further, Millie Bright – Captain of the England Women’s football is from Killamarsh and she too would rejected.

I have spent the afternoon investigating this further and thus far can find no law that has been passed, no motion to any elected body anywhere within Derbyshire - or elsewhere - that has introduced this policy. It appears that Geo Place – through bureaucratic nonsense – and DBCP have overreached.

I have written to the leader of NE Derbyshire District Council and to the Leader of the Opposition to write to both DBCP, Derbyshire County Council, and central government.

As a Veteran and Councillor I think it is essential that we honour and remember those who sacrificed everything for the freedoms we enjoy today, and not to take them for granted.

Street naming may not be a grand gesture, but it is a way of honouring our Heroes, and keeping their memory alive in our towns and villages for future generations.

Lest we Forget

let me know where you stand on this