Developer bids to change Fife street names claiming they are putting people off buying

Councillors stuck to their guns and said ‘Euphemia Street’ and ‘Wyse Witches Way’ are both here to stay.

Lochay Homes is currently building a new housing development on land to the north of Kent Street, Townhill in Dunfermline, The company petitioned Dunfermline Area Committee to change the names which were selected four years ago. They claimed that potential buyers were now “greatly concerned” over the choices,

Euphemia Street was named in honour of the late local resident Euphemia Sutherland, one of the first women working in the local mines and whose family has stayed locally for at least six generations.

Councillor Auxi Berrera (SNP for Dunfermline North), quoted Euphemia's grand-daughter 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."

Lochay Homes said potential buyers felt the street names were “somewhat outdated and abstract – in effect not a street name they would choose to live in.”

Its renaming submission continued: “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.”

Councillor Jean Hall Muir (SNP for Dunfermline Central) argued that allowing the names to be changed would also set a "terrible precedent" for the future, and Councillor Cara Hilton (Labour for Dunfermline South) agreed adding: “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.

Some councillors pushed for a street naming consultation to be reopened with Councillor Gordon Pryde (Labour for Dunfermline North) saying they 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.