Council in dramatic U-turn after war heroes ban on Marston Moretaine roads

A council decision which would prevent a Bedfordshire parish council naming new streets in honour of its deceased World War One soldiers has been reversed.

Marston Moretaine Parish Council had said it was “incensed”, fearing it could no longer name local streets after the soldiers listed on the village war memorial, a Central Bedfordshire Council meeting was told.

But CBC confirmed today that a review of the situation was conducted after the issue was highlighted at a full council meeting, and it would be possible for this practice to continue.

CBC said in a statement: “Following a review of our street naming guidance in response to an issue highlighted at full council, we’ve added a clarification regarding local war memorials.”

Naming its roads after “fallen World War One soldiers” has been adopted by the parish council since 2015, according to Conservative Cranfield and Marston Moretaine councillor Sue Clark.

“The parish is incensed CBC is no longer accepting names of people, alive or dead, as street names,” councillor Clark explained during the meeting. “The council’s guidance was changed to include this in August, without any consultation.”

Independent Toddington councillor and executive member for planning and waste Mary Walsh said at the meeting: “It involves an incidence of an issue with a road containing a name with connotations, which hadn’t been realised at the time it was allocated.

“There’s been some investigation into whether all the people in that street would want their road to have the name changed. I’m not sure how that’s gone so far, but I’d imagine that’s one of the reasons why that’s moved forward. I’ll find out and come back to you.”

Asked to support Marston Moretaine Parish Council and agree it can continue to honour its war dead in the same way, councillor Walsh replied: “If that’s the case, I’d certainly try and promote that they would be used.”