Calls For Historic 'Offensive' Road Name To Be Changed After Two Visitors Complain

Locals in Lifton are being consulted on whether to change an 'offensive' road name after two visitors issued a complaint.

Lifton Parish Council have written to residents living on Darkey Lane to ask whether they want to change the street name or keep it as it is.

Although the parish council is currently dealing with the consultation, renaming roads in the area is ultimately down to West Devon Borough Council (WDBC), who would do a separate consultation if required, reports Devon Live.

Two thirds of households would have to agree if a change in road name was to take place.

The letter, dated 7 January, reads: "I have been asked to write to you on behalf of Lifton Parish Council following receipt of a complaint about the street name Darkey Lane made by two visitors to the village.

"The visitors, one of who is of Caribbean heritage, were shocked and extremely upset having been confronted with a name like this.

"Councillors took the decision at a parish council meeting on November 25, 2021, to undertake a public consultation with you in early January 2022, to find out if you would like to keep or change the existing road name."

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Owner of Lifton Hall Hotel Robert Fleming is in favour of the road name being changed.

He told Devon Live: "I agree that the name should be changed.

"I think historically that the lane may have been called Darke Lane in the old English spelling, as indeed the lane is very dark and tree covered in places.

"The fact that the word ‘darkey’ has negative connotations, and has and continues to be used as such, supersedes historical spellings where they may have had a different meaning.

"People may be offended so it should be changed as standard, with a minimum of fuss.

"Indeed as a hotelier in the area, we have had people actually mention their surprise at the name of the lane as it is quite close to us.

"When I moved here 15 years ago I remember being rather shocked at it as we had moved down from London and lived in a multi-racial area of East London.

"Lifton can not by any stretch of the imagination be classed as multi-racial.

"For people objecting to the change, I think if they could imagine themselves as being in a minority of some sort and then have a derogatory work on a street name that affected/ upset them it may garner a different response. 

"The name could be just Darke Lane or even Dark Lane which is minimal effort.

"In this advanced age we live in it should be a simple matter to change all the databases etc, although people may decide to live with it as it means changing passport/ drivers licences and so on which obviously will incur some costs."

Lifton Parish Council said the results of the consultation will be reported at its next meeting on 27 January.