RESIDENTS have blasted a council s new street names - which include Respect Way, Humanity Close and Inspire Avenue. Baffled Brummies living in Birmingham s Perry Barr have branded the road names as PC nonsense which do not reflect the reality of the working class area. The suburb has depravation levels among the worst in the country and is currently undergoing redevelopment for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. As part of the £500 million project an Athletes Village was supposed to be built providing accommodation for 6,500 athletes and team officials. But this was scrapped in the summer after a review into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic found it could not be delivered on time.
Or a combination of any or all of the above?
For inspiration, we can look to Birmingham where this week the city council chose the names of six new streets on a cohesion/shared values theme. As you do nowadays.
Locals can now look forward to living in Humanity Close, Equality Road, Diversity Grove, Respect Way, Inspire Avenue and Destiny Road. (I get the feeling they were running out of virtue-signalling steam with the last one).
We re pretty keen on the jargon of inclusion ourselves, so surely we could do even better than that around here?
Surely, we could have our own Equality Streets. (Other confectionery-related place names are available).
SIGNS: Residents living in a deprived Birmingham suburb have accused a council of wasting taxpayers cash after unveiling cringeworthy new street names - including Respect Way and Humanity Close. RESIDENTS living in a Birmingham suburb have blasted a snowflake council s woke new street names - which include Respect Way, Humanity Close and Inspire Avenue. Baffled Brummies living in Perry Barr have branded the cringe-worthy road names as PC nonsense which do not reflect the reality of the working class area. The suburb has depravation levels among the worst in the country and is currently undergoing redevelopment for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Updated: 14 Dec 2020, 17:52
THE full extent of the fallout and legacy of the first lockdown is only just beginning to reveal itself.
But one thing is clear: It has had a huge, detrimental impact on children in a way that is only becoming fully evident now they are back at school.
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The first lockdown has had a huge, detrimental impact on childrenCredit: Getty
At the virtual Work and Pensions Committee meeting this week, MPs were told that pupils are having more fall-outs with fellow pupils since returning to school. And they have struggled to get back into routines, many having spent most of lockdown playing video games.
“They are values that we share in the city and also reflect the Commonwealth Sport Movement values of humanity, equality and destiny – which is entirely appropriate given our status as host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, said Birmingham Councillor Waseem Zaffar.
The competition winner Louise Kilbride, who lives about a mile away from the renamed roads, believes they have a positive meaning for local people and serve as a reminder that everyone deserves decent housing.
Her comments recognise the fact that Perry Barr is among the most deprived areas in the UK.
Plans to build an Athletes Village in the vicinity for the 2022 Commonwealth Games were scrapped after a review found that pandemic-related delays meant it wouldn t be finished in time.