It's all kicking off in Bristol. Two weeks ago it was reported that:
A South Bristol councillor has challenged a housing association to come up with a “more gritty” and relevant name for its new 70-home development after branding the original idea “ridiculous”.
Bishopsworth ward Cllr Richard Eddy says the proposal to call the road, at Imperial Park, 'Crox View' is meaningless because the name comes from an ancient woodland on the opposite side of the retail complex that residents can’t see – and can only be viewed from the air.
South Bristol councillor blasts "ridiculous" proposed new street name at former tobacco factory (Bristol Post)
If you're wondering why the story is of interest to me I should explain that the site was formerly the home of an Imperial Group tobacco factory and Cllr Eddy wanted the name to 'reflect the site’s history'.
Earlier this week it seemed that Cllr Eddy's plea had prevailed. Although council officers rejected his idea that the new road to be given an 'Imperial' prefix or named after former members of the Wills family, who founded the city’s tobacco trade, in case it caused confusion with 'existing Bristol streets that already have them', some alternative suggestions were proposed.
In a surprising but novel twist they were 'all based on the company’s old cigarette brands – Strand Road, Passing Clouds Road and Gold Flake Road' with Cllr Eddy and the housing association agreeing to the name Navy Cut Road.
South Bristol road to be named after cigarette brand instead of woodland (Bristol Post)
Inevitably ASH has weighed in with CEO Deborah Arnott arguing that the decision to name the road after a cigarette brand – albeit one that is no longer sold in this country – is "morally unacceptable".
The (Labour) Mayor’s office is now said to be reviewing the proposal so I don't hold out much hope for Navy Cut Road but I did enjoy Cllr Eddy's response to ASH's intervention:
“Bishopsworth is a plain-speaking, no-nonsense place and we don’t take kindly to politically correct busybodies pushing their noses into our affairs.
“The ‘woke’ warriors of ASH are nothing more than ignorant Leftie professional agitators and they should refrain from lecturing Bristolians as if we were uninformed and not grown-up.
Bristolians know our city boasts a ‘gritty’ identity based on manufacturing and trading and we should not shy away from acknowledging our past.
Cigarette-named road "morally unacceptable", anti-smoking campaigners say (Bristol Post)