Published 23 April 2024
A change to West Dunbartonshire Council’s street naming and numbering policy will provide an opportunity for notable individuals to be honoured.
The amendments, approved by the Planning Committee, update previous policy dating back to 2015.
One of the main changes allows residents and community groups to suggest street names which reference notable people who have made a significant contribution to West Dunbartonshire.
This includes local figures or community leaders, historical figures or those who have been prominent in historical events. No streets will be named after living people with a 10-year time gap to assess someone’s impact and contribution before immortalising them in a street name.
Successful suggestions will be retained in a street name bank. This will help negate the risk of delaying a development and will ensure maximum consultation and community engagement has been carried out when considering naming new streets.
The name bank will be split into the three localities: Clydebank, Dumbarton and Vale of Leven to encourage local history to be incorporated as a sense of place within the specific area. As well as referencing local people, suggestions can also be made which pay tribute to the general history of the area or its natural environment.
Submissions can be made at any time through internal engagement, consultation events with residents throughout the year and Councillor engagement with constituents. Every 15 suggestions will be presented to the Planning Committee for approval.
Names which will be retained in the bank must be easily pronounced and spelt so as not to cause confusion, particularly in the case of an emergency.
Convener of Planning, Councillor Lawrence O’Neill said: “The people of West Dunbartonshire take great pride in their area and I am delighted that residents will get a chance to have their say on how new streets are named.
“This is a sensible and creative approach which is of benefit to both the Council and members of the community.”
Vice Convener of Planning, Councillor Gurpreet Singh Johal, said: “I encourage people from throughout West Dunbartonshire to get involved and suggest street names so that new developments can truly capture the spirit of West Dunbartonshire’s rich history.”
Suggestions can be submitted by email to cagchanges@west-dunbarton.gov.uk with an online form due to be available through the Council’s website in the coming weeks.