Proposals to remove Watford street names with slave trade links
Residents will be able to vote to make changes
Community groups have praised a new policy which will allow a public vote on scrapping street names in Watford with links to the slave trade.
Watford Borough Council has brought forward a new street naming and number policy, which will also see the council prioritise new street names that celebrate the town’s diversity.
The borough council has made the changes in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, which will be accompanied by work from Watford Museum to educate people about how roads such as Imperial Way got their names.
The new rule set for approval next week means that if two thirds of residents back a change to street names with slave trade links, they can be replaced.
The borough council agreed to review its policy in July 2020, in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests across the country, after Councillor Asif Khan (Labour, Leggatts) raised concern about a number of street names in the borough.
Cllr Khan said the council should consider renaming Imperial Way, Colonial Way, Clive Way and Rhodes Way, because of their association with the slave trade and Britian’s imperial past.
In response, the borough council agreed to set up a task group to discuss the issue which reported their recommendations in March 2021, before work started on the new policy.
‘Really welcome move’
Tola Dabiri of Brick By Brick Communities, who have researched Black history in Watford, said it was a “really welcome” move from the council.
Ms Dabiri said: “I think anything that encourages the community to participate in local affairs can only be a good thing.
“Not everybody is going to be in favour of actually changing names which are perceived to be offensive, and so by allowing everyone to comment it also allows some debate around these issues.
“You wouldn’t want to get into a situation where some people are saying, ‘we definitely have to get rid of that name’ and other people saying, ‘No, we don’t’. What would be better, and what I think the consultation process will allow is some type of discussion and debate around it and hopefully lessen any conflict and for everybody to understand where the other side is coming from.”
Ms Dabiri said while direct action such as the toppling of Edward Colston’s statue in Bristol can be effective when a campaign had been ignored for many years, most communities just need a mechanism to discuss the issue and outline their thoughts.
She added: “It’s a great idea, and I think it’s very much in line with how cultural diversity is valued in Watford.”
Harjit Singh, Chair of Watford Interfaith Association, was consulted on the proposals and said the naming of streets can be an important symbol in recognising a town’s diversity.
He said: “I do think it’s important that communities do feel they’ve got a stake within their own towns, reflecting upon who they are or reflecting upon their community. If you look at a place like India when the British went there, it almost leaves some kind of mark that this community has been here.”
Mr Singh echoed Ms Dabiri, and said regardless of whether streets are renamed, starting a discussion can help to educate residents to find common ground.
He added: “We’ve got a sort of tapestry here, and it’s important we have an understanding of each other’s cultures and I think that can only grow in a positive manner if we have more of an understanding, so it’s important wherever it’s possible we integrate that.”
What is the policy proposal?
Next week the council’s cabinet will vote on the final policy, which will place a “significant emphasis” on introducing new street and block names that reflect the town’s history and diversity.
The move has been praised by those working with minority groups in the town, who say it’s important communities “feel they have got a stake within their own towns”.
The council’s new policy said the renaming of streets will be dealt with on an individual case basis, but will “generally be avoided”.
The policy continues: “It should only be considered in cases where historic street names are likely to cause offence, or in cases where the naming is causing problems for the emergency services.
“Renaming/renumbering a street is a time consuming process and any change can be very disruptive and cause financial costs to all those occupiers affected.”
Before an application will be considered by the council, the applicant must conduct a ballot of all occupiers in the street, which would be followed by a more formal consultation.
The consent of two-thirds of all those affected by the change must be obtained before the council’s cabinet has a final say on any changes.
The streets mentioned in the original motion are all based in an industrial area of Knutsford, so any changes would rely on businesses agreeing with the ballot.
The task group also suggested the council should commission Watford Museum to develop an education programme based around a new exhibition which explores the background of the town’s road names.
For new streets, the borough council has said an emphasis should be placed on reflecting the town’s diversity and heritage.
The council’s policy added: “The Council are keen to reflect the town’s rich cultural heritage and diverse communities through the naming of streets in the Borough.”
Anyone can put forward ideas for new street names, as long as it meets the council’s criteria. For applications related to an individual, the council says the person should have served the local community, been born or lived in the area.
Such names are only likely to be considered if the person has been dead for more than 20 years, although there can be exceptions to this if supported by the council.
The borough council’s cabinet will discuss and vote on the new street naming policy at a meeting on Monday, January 17.