Developer suggests ' alien' names for new streets

1.46.36pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 25th Jul 2006

Local historian, Dr. Eileen White, came up with the goods when asked by Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle & Thackley) for help with naming streets in her ward.

"Now that the development on the site of the former Watmough's printers is taking place, the developers need to come up with street names so I thought I'd ask local historian Dr. Eileen White for a hand" said Councillor Sunderland.

"She came up with a diagram of local field names and suggestions for street names. Dr. White told me lots of local history that the Council can use to name the streets. The site was originally made up of long thin fields running down the hill. These were cut across by the railway embankment in about 1871 and later with the building on New Street.

"Tan House Close was the site where the old school was, so any new names incorporating the name Tan should be in that area. Long Lands is a name that goes back to 1584 with some of the others dating from the 1838 map and the 1845 tithe award. It would be good to preserve Long Lands, Tanhouse Close and New Mills. Dr. White also suggested that we include on the High Street site a Printers Close or something similar to commemorate Watmough Printers. They were a major business in Idle

"The developers have come up with a list of names that are completely alien to Idle; Kensington, Marlow, Napier and Lanson. We want to see the past reflected in the future names as a way of keeping it alive. I would like to thank Dr. White for her great interest and support and will be making sure that the Council follows her advice." said Councillor Sunderland.