SEDGEFIELD NEWS - Certain Sedgefield Island residents are up in arms after hearing that the Knysna municipal naming committee are set to consider the first applications for renaming streets in their Sedgefield suburb. These residents feel that they were not included in the decision to change the existing names.
According to Knysna municipal manager Grant Easton, a policy in respect of street naming and numbering was approved by the Knysna municipality in 2014. "The policy also provided for the establishment of a street naming committee," he said.
A Knysna municipal media statement states that the aim of the policy is to ensure that wherever possible, all streets in the greater Knysna municipal area should have street names and all properties with erf numbers should have street numbers.
"The policy also allows for any person to approach the office of the municipal manager with a request or suggestion for the change of an existing street name," reads the statement.
Strict regulations would apply in such a case. Municipal manager Grant Easton explained, "As such changes are potentially disruptive, confusing and costly to implement, there must be a sound reason for the suggested change and the applicant must therefore provide a full and detailed motivation for the change."
The committee is now considering an application from the Sedgefield Ratepayers and Voters Association (SR&VA) to rename streets on the Island in Sedgefield (see advert elsewhere). The proposal is to bring the names more in line with the other streets names in Sedgefield.
Asked about their involvement, SR&VA chairperson Roy Phillips said he had not been involved in the original application for name changes. John McGregor, SR&VA vice chairperson who was involved in the suggestion of changing the street names, said the committee had discussed a possible change of the Island street names as far back as six years.
"We had handed the matter to the then Ward 2 councillor Doris Nayler, never to hear anything again until now," said McGregor.
Nayler, who is now the Eden district municipality speaker but still an Island resident and very involved with the community, explained, "The reason for the changes of street names on the Island is that it is a declared conservancy and that the present names are totally inappropriate and not in line with the present.
The names put forward are in line with the rest of the town, where all names are related to birds, trees, plants etc.
The names put forward are indigenous tree names." She added that a great deal of time was spent on deciding on tree names and to ensure that these were not duplicated in the rest of the greater Knysna."
In closing she urged interested and affected parties to submit their written comments to reach the Knysna municipality by no later than 12:00 on February 29.
Committee to consider applications for renaming streets
A policy in respect of street naming and numbering has been approved by Knysna Municipality in 2014. The policy also provided for the establishment of a street naming committee.
The aim of the policy is to ensure that wherever possible, all streets in the greater Knysna municipal area should have street names and all properties that have erf numbers should have street numbers. The policy also allows for any person to approach the office of the municipal manager with a request or suggestion for the change of an existing street name.
Strict regulations would apply in such a case. Municipal manager Grant Easton explained, "As such changes are potentially disruptive, confusing and costly to implement, there must be a sound reason for the suggested change and the applicant must therefore provide a full and detailed motivation for the change."
The committee is now considering an application from Sedgefield Ratepayers and Voters Association to rename streets on the island in Sedgefield (see advert elsewhere in this publication). The proposal is to bring the names more in line with the other streets names in Sedgefield which are of bird or fish origin.
Interested and affected parties now have an opportunity to submit written comments which must reach the municipality by no later than 12:00 on February 29 2016.
* The full policy containing all rules and stipulations is obtainable from the office of the Manager Communications and Customer Relations, at communications@knysna.gov.za.
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