Nottingham City Council says it will not consider naming a street after a well-known deceased person until at least 20 years have passed since their death. The authority says the move is being taken to account for "any future changes in public opinion" about an individual, and that the new policy will bring it into line with updated national guidance.
The council's current policy on street naming and property numbering has been in place since 2014, with the authority saying a "high standard" for naming streets helps to ensure post is delivered efficiently and emergency services can find properties without undue delay. But it has not been updated since then, despite new national guidance being released in 2020.
This new guidance was released due to the "increasing focus on historic building and street names", partly brought about by the Black Lives Matter movement. The summer of 2020 saw statues, monuments and street names related to several historical figures being reconsidered, most notably a statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol which was pushed into the harbour.
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On the new 20 year delay, something already adopted by some Nottinghamshire district councils, Nottingham City Council says: "This delay is to help ensure the decision is made with a sufficient degree of hindsight, accounting for any future changes in public opinion and reducing the potential risks and costs to both citizens and the council associated with re‐naming streets.
"The adoption of the principle used by English Heritage that an individual should only be considered 20 years after their death seeks to mitigate the risks associated with the re‐naming of streets. This includes significant inconvenience and costs to residents in changing their address [and] the risk of reputational damage around perceptions of the council's original decision."
The council said "avoiding potential conflict between residents" is another reason why adopting the 20-year principle needs to happen. Many Nottingham streets and roads are named after notable figures in the city and wider county, with one of the best known being Brian Clough Way.
Other streets named after prominent figures include Carrington Street, named after Robert Smith (Lord Carrington). Lord Carrington was a former Nottingham MP, but he also had links to the slave trade in Jamaica.
Nottingham City Council says from now on, there will be research into street names which have been proposed in memory of deceased people. A 'pre-approved' list will then be created which can be suggested to developers when any sites come forward.
As well as allowing for changes in opinion on historical figures, the council says it wants proposed street names to favour those with local connections to a site. It also says that figures from Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities, as well as those from the LGBTQIA+ community, will be "considered favourably."
The authority also says it will establish closer ties with historical experts when discussing proposed street names. The council's new policy, published on March 7, adds: "In order for a deceased person's name to be considered, evidence should be provided that they have made a significant contribution to the community either at a national, regional or local level and/or have a historical connection to the land being developed.
"In most instances, the person's surname will be used rather than their full name." The one month consultation which takes place with the relevant ward councillors on a proposed new street name will continue as it does now.
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