Officials have to go back to the drawing board for street names at the 223-home Reading Golf Course development after councillors called for a rethink.
Every time new streets are created, they have to be named in a process undertaken by the council.
The development called Emmer Green Drive, which involves building 223 homes on the former Reading Golf Course off Kidmore End Road, creates nine new streets that run through the site.
Council officers drew up a list of address names for these new streets, which included suggestions such as ‘Monarch Meadow’ as a tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, ‘Fox Crescent’ and ‘Falcon Green’.
The officers had hoped that the address suggestions would be approved.
However, councillors called for a rethink at a planning applications meeting this month.
Councillor Jan Gavin (Labour, Caversham) opposed some of the name suggestions as they did not correspond with the history of the site as a golf course.
She suggested that one of the new roads should be named after the golfer James Braid, who designed the golf course.
Cllr Gavin added: “That connection with golf I think could go further. What about Putting Green Drive, Eagle Close, Birdie Avenue, Bunker Road, Copse Close, and so on?
“I think we need to reflect where this housing development is in the names of the roads we choose.
“There are things on the list which I really struggle to think of what the connection to the area is.”
Agreeing, cllr Karen Rowland (Labour, Abbey) said: “We do need to celebrate and think about the site certainly its heritage and to reflect that into the future which will be around for many years after we’re all gone.”
Cllr Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley) proposed that one of the street names should honour Jonathan 'Jono' Kirton, a long-term resident of Caversham who was heavily involved in Highdown School before his sad death aged 36.
Meanwhile, cllr Stephen Goss (Conservative, Emmer Green) proposed that the ‘Monarch Meadow’ proposed address should be changed.
He said: “If as suggested in the table we are going to name a street after Her Majesty of blessed memory perhaps Elizabeth Meadow rather than just plainly Monarch Meadow might be more appropriate?”
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The suggestions from the councillors prompted a wider discussion about the current approved list of approximately 77 street names which can be used for newly created addresses.
Cllr Rowland suggested that a street name in remembrance of Christine Borgas, a long-time councillor and resident, should be included in the list.
She said: “[Christine was] a real activist and champion for women’s education over a long period of time.”
The councillors then had to make a decision on the proposed street names for the golf course development.
Cllr Matt Yeo (Labour, Caversham) serving as chair of the committee, audibly laughed when Heather Porter, data and geographic information system (GIS) manager, said there was ‘no precedent’ for the rejection of street name proposals.
Ultimately, the address suggestions The Fairway, Fox Crescent and Barnes Road were accepted, and Tallow Way, Falcon Green, Monarch Meadow, Saunderson View, Thornycroft Way and Tilley Terrace were all rejected.
The decisions were made at the council’s planning applications committee meeting on Wednesday, October 4.
It means that six name suggestions will have to be submitted for approval at a future meeting.
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