Fife Council refuses developer call to change 'outdated' street names

Lochay Homes is currently building a new housing development on land to the north of Townhill’s Kent Street. Four years ago, the street names for the development were selected and approved, but now they are trying to change them.

Developers are now claiming that people don’t want to buy houses on ‘Euphemia Street’ and ‘Wyse Witches Way.’ They claim that potential buyers are now “greatly concerned” over the approved street names.

“[Potential buyers] consider them to be somewhat outdated and abstract – in effect not a street name they would choose to live in,” Lochay Homes said in their street renaming application.

“It is abundantly clear that the chosen names represent a disincentive to parties looking for a new home in this area. That is not a position we, as the party investing many millions into the site/local area and delivering a range of employment, should be placed in.”

READ MORE: UK must follow Germany and restore UNRWA funding for Gaza aid, SNP say

‘Euphemia Street’ was named in honour of the late Townhill resident Euphemia Sutherland.

According to Councillor Auxi Barrera (SNP for Dunfermline North), Euphemia was one of the first women working in the Townhill mines and her family has lived in the village for at least six generations.

Barrera quoted Euphemia’s grandaughter as stating: “I’m strongly disappointed by the petition to remove Euphemia’s name from a street.”

The statement continued: “A humble, local working class woman – like so many tens of thousands of local women whose stories go untold – will be recognised if a street is named after her. It would be an acknowledgement of silent women.”

Barrera concluded that “nothing has changed” since 2020 in terms of the name’s relevance.

A view down Dunfermline High Street

Councillor Jean Hall Muir (SNP for Dunfermline Central) also argued that allowing the names to be changed would also set a “terrible precedent” for the future.

“I think this is a really uncomfortable request in terms of precedent. We as an area committee should not alter our procedures for the whims of [developers],” she said.

“We have processes in place and those names went through that – they meet the criteria.”

Councillor Cara Hilton (Labour for Dunfermline South) agreed: “It’s not about whether we think names are good or bad now but those were the names selected and I think those are the ones that should be taken forward,” she said.

Councillor Derek Glen (SNP for Dunfermline Central) additionally quoted Fife Council rules which state that street renaming proposals should only be considered in “exceptional circumstances.”

READ MORE: Thousands more moving to Scotland than leaving after income tax raised

“There is no need to go back and revisit decisions already made and it falls short of any test to meet the criteria of exceptional circumstances,” he said.

However, some councillors pushed for a street naming consultation to be reopened.

Councillor Gordon Pryde (Labour for Dunfermline North) believed that the names were “clumsy and a bit inaccurate.”

He said that Wyse Witches Way confuses and conjoins the ‘wyse women’ of the past with the witchcraft they were accused of.

However, the committee ultimately voted to keep the current street names six to four.