This consultation was open from 10 August until 7 September 2020.
The consultation
2020 marks 551 years since the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. To celebrate and honour this occasion, the council is proposing to change the name of Havelock Road, between King Street and Merrick Road, to Guru Nanak Road or Guru Nanak Way. This would symbolise the huge contribution of our Sikh community and our diversity and unity as a borough.
The consultation was carried out in order to gather views about the proposal before the formal legal process is started. The scope of the consultation was the re-naming of the section of Havelock Road that lies between King Street and Merrick Road and the new name for that section of road to be Guru Nanak Road, Guru Nanak Way or some other suggestion.
What you said
The full results are now available alongside the original consultation document. In summary:
- From the section of Havelock Road to be re-named, out of an eligible 57 households, there were 8 returns giving a 14% response rate. Of the 8 returns 5 households (62%) support the name change and 2 households (25%) oppose it.
- From the section of Havelock Road which is not to be re-named, out of an eligible 288 households, there were 8 returns giving a 3% response rate. Of the 8 returns 2 households (25%) support the name change and 5 households (62%) oppose it.
- Combining the Havelock Road returns, out of an eligible 345 households, there were 16 returns giving a 5% response rate. Of the 16 returns 7 households (44%) support the name change and 7 (44%) oppose it.
- There were 429 returns from Households outside of Havelock Road. Of the 429 returns 241 households (56%) support the name change and 178 (41%) oppose the name change.
- From the combined Havelock Road returns Guru Nanak Road is the preferred name. From the returns outside of Havelock Road Guru Nanak Way is the preferred name.
What happens next?
Feedback from the consultation has been considered by Edward Axe, director of ICT (information and communications technology), IDM (information data management) and property services, in consultation with:
- Councillor Jullian Bell (leader of the council)
- Councillor Jasbir Anand (portfolio holder for business and community services)
- Councillor Joanna Camadoo-Rothwell (portfolio holder for community safety and inclusion).
After consideration, the decision has been made to proceed with the statutory consultation, which will last for a period of one month, proposing to change the name of Havelock Road, between King Street and Merrick Road, to Guru Nanak Road.
The final decision will not be a ballot but will be taken in accordance with the street naming protocol which confirms that any change proposal should ‘respect and balance cultural and historical identities, sensitivities, and heritage’.
In addition to the views of residents, we will be seeking the views of other consultees such as the Fire Brigade and the Royal Mail, as well as local businesses directly impacted by the change. All responses to this statutory consultation, as well as the initial consultation, will be considered before any final decision is taken. The final decision will then be taken by the director of ICT, IDM and property services following consultation with the councillors referred to above.
Further details
If you need more information about this consultation please contact us:
Email: havelockroad@ealing.gov.uk
Telephone: (020) 8825 6553