Councils will be forced to hold local votes before they ditch an ‘offensive’ street name under new plans to stop ‘woke’ campaigners forcing through changes
- Mini referenda will be required before street names can be changed by councils
- Ministers say ‘woke’ pressure groups will otherwise unilaterally erase heritage
- Streets named after controversial historical figures have been targeted before
- ‘Darkie Lane’ in Dorset was almost re-named due to a single letter of complaint
Changing street names will no longer be possible without first holding small-scale referenda under government plans to stop local heritage being wiped out by ‘woke’ campaign groups.
A proposal drawn up by Michael Gove’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will force councils to put road name changes to a public vote, over fears that campaign groups could otherwise force through controversial changes without majority support.
Ministers say the plans are needed to stop Labour and Liberal Democrat local politicians removing names that pay tribute to controversial historical figures or that are otherwise viewed as offensive, according to The Telegraph.
Residents of streets with proposed name changes will have a right to vote under the plans, with people in neighbouring roads also potentially to be included.
Last year, Swanage Town Council attracted national media attention over its plan to re-name Darkie Lane to Dark Lane, which was prompted by a single letter of complaint from a family holidaying in the town in Dorset.
A proposal drawn up by Michael Gove’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will force councils to put road name changes to a public vote
Labour-run Birmingham City Council was accused of ‘virtue signalling’ in December 2020 after it named six new roads in Perry Barr: Diversity Grove, Equality Road, Destiny Road, Inspire Avenue, Respect Way and Humanity Close
Ultimately, that change was vetoed, despite Swanage Town Council voting in favour, after a referendum of the eight residences conducted by Dorset Council failed to return a single vote in favour of the proposed alteration.
Oliver Dowden, the Conservative chairman and former culture secretary, said: ‘Labour and Liberal Democrat councils across the country are hiking council tax while squandering hard-earned local taxpayers’ money on these woke pet projects that nobody wants.
‘These proposals will give local residents a democratic check against the lefty municipal militants trying to cancel war heroes like Churchill and Nelson.’
Last year, Swanage Town Council attracted national media attention over its plan to re-name Darkie Lane (pictured) to Dark Lane
Labour-run Birmingham City Council was accused of ‘virtue signalling’ in December 2020 after it named six new roads in Perry Barr: Diversity Grove, Equality Road, Destiny Road, Inspire Avenue, Respect Way and Humanity Close.
The titles were decided by a panel of judges after locals were asked to submit suggestions for the 1,400 addresses.
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