STREET NAMES REVIEW

City Council to investigate whether labels of two Newcastle roads have links to slave trade

TWO Newcastle streets will have their names reviewed in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests including one of the city centre’s best-known roads.

Newcastle City Council officials confirmed last week that they would launch a review of all the city’s statues, following the anti-racism demonstrations that have swept the globe since the killing of George Floyd in the USA.

And the local authority has now also committed to investigate whether two of Newcastle’s street names have “proven links to the slave trade” after requests from the public - Blackett Street in the city centre and Colston Street in the West End.

Blackett Street, which runs past Eldon Square and Grey’s Monument, is named after John Erasmus Blackett - a prominent businessman and four-time Lord Mayor of Newcastle in the 1700s, who had served an apprenticeship under major Liverpool slave trader Foster Cunliffe.

The council is also trying to determine whether the naming of Colston Street, a terraced residential street in Benwell, has any connection to Edward Colston, the slave trader whose statue in Bristol was toppled and thrown in a harbour during anti-racism protests earlier this month.

A civic centre spokesperson said that renaming streets was a “complex

issue” and also confirmed that there had been no requests to review any statues in the city.

Grey’s Monument and the Lord Armstrong memorial outside the Great North Museum: Hancock had been listed on a ‘Topple the Racists’ online map of statues that “celebrate slavery and racism” - but both have since been removed from the list.

The Monument was the scene of violent clashes last weekend, when counter-protesters allegedly hurled objects that injured police and Black Lives Matter activists.

Council leader Nick Forbes said earlier this week that there should be “intelligent debate about our statues and street names” and what can be done to “address the inequalities which exist in our city and society at large”.

A council spokesperson said: “Like many councils around the country, we will carry out a review in response to representations from the public into statues and street names where there are proven links to the slave trade.

“Historically Newcastle has few links to the slave trade. The one remaining statue in the city that was on a national list that campaigners were calling to be removed is no longer on that list.

“We are listening and responding to the thoughts and concerns of our residents making sure they are part of the review process.

“However the renaming of streets is a complex issue and we are considering the implications with regards to requests.”