Agenda item

The Leader of the Council considered the report which noted that, on 1February 2022, Corporate Committee resolved to rename Black Boy Lane to La Rose Lane. Following the necessary preparatory work, it was proposed that the name change would take effect on 23January 2023. This would allow the necessary support to be provided to residents in the run up to the change.

The Corporate Committee, as part of its decision, agreed to recommend to the Executive that a support package including a ‘voluntary payment’ of £300 and administrative assistance be made available to all households and businesses of Black Boy Lane to minimise any inconvenience resulting from the processes required to reflect the renaming.

The report sought a decision to approve the support package, including expenditure of £300 per household, for Black Boy Lane residents.

The Leader RESOLVED

1.    To approve the proposed support package and administrative assistance be made available to all households and businesses of Black Boy Lane to minimise any inconvenience resulting from the processes required to reflect the renaming as set out in section 5 of the report.

2.    To approve the ‘voluntary payment’ of £300 to eligible households and businesses located on Black Boy Lane and to approve the eligibility criteria for the voluntary payment as set out in para 5.9.3 of the report.

3.    To note that it is intended that payments will be made to eligible householders on or after the date of implementation, which is expected to take place on 23 January 2023.

4.    To note that it is intended that payments will be made to eligible householders on or after the date of implementation, which is expected to take place on 23 January 2023.

Reasons for decision

The recommendation to the Executive for approval of a support package arises from a detailed assessment, which was reviewed during the period of further consultation. Any potential inconvenience resulting from renaming could be reasonably mitigated through delivery of a support package from the Council, including dedicated administrative support for all affected; and a ‘voluntary payment’ of £300. It is worth noting that no new costs or support needs were highlighted by residents related to the renaming during the latest period of consultation. The proposed support package is considered adequate to comfortably mitigate and any inconvenience related to administrative changes required. It is acknowledged that there is a time burden of making administrative changes, and for this reason council officers will provide support in updating relevant bodies and providing advice and guidance to residents affected by the change.

There are 182 properties listed on the street according to the latest Gazetteer data; our current projected cost of delivering the ‘voluntary payments’ is £54,600 based on this number. We are recommending provision is made for £65,520, allowing an additional £10,920, a 20% increase, should more Houses of Multiple Occupancy than expected be discovered.

Alternative options considered

Not making voluntary payments was considered as this is not a statutory obligation on a local authority. This has been rejected following representations from residents and their representatives about the need for support including financial support during this process. The recommendation to make the ‘voluntary payment’ was supported by the Council’s Equalities Lead Officer, as a means to providing mitigation against potential negative impacts of the name change to individuals who share a protected characteristic where they may be more likely to be of lower socioeconomic status and face financial costs from the name change.