Street Naming Campaign

We are data

Newham Council is committed to making our borough a fairer place, a concept at the heart of our Tackling Racism, Inequality and Disproportionality (TRID) programme.

The programme’s pledges include ensuring new road and building names recognise the history and diversity of the borough so people do not feel alienated where they live, and reclaiming the rich, important and diverse history of Newham cultures and communities so that, increasingly, people feel proud to live here (see full pledges in the panel below).

Newham Council keeps a list of approved names for new roads and wants to make our list more representative of Newham and our people. 

So we want to hear your suggestions of people with strong, positive links to Newham – reflective of our diverse communities and histories – who deserve to be added to our approved list.

An example of a Newham person who has been honoured in this way is Kamal Chunchie (1886-1953), who is pictured.

A Sri Lankan-born preacher, Kamal was a pioneer of race relations in Canning Town. The road leading to the new home of the Greater London Authority in Newham has been renamed “Kamal Chunchie Way”.

Kamal Chunchie

Councillor Dr Rohit Kumar Dasgupta, Newham Council's Commissioner for Social Integration and Equalities, said: “ It is only right that people of any background who’ve made a significant contribution to Newham should be remembered through the naming of new roads and buildings.

“Kamal Chunchie is a classic example of an historic figure who richly deserved to be honoured after dedicating his life to fighting for the rights of minorities in the UK from his base in Newham.

“For too long our public realm has excluded the diverse history of our borough and this is the time to right that wrong. We are hoping our residents will take part in this exercise so we can celebrate people who have made Newham the place it is.”

Please send us a written statement to support your choice of name or names, bearing in mind that the person or persons should usually have been deceased for at least 10 years. Use the form, or email us at: snn@newham.gov.uk

All your ideas will be carefully considered by the Council, and successful suggestions will be added to our approved list for when new streets or buildings need a name or an old one is changed.

If the person is connected to a local family, we will also seek permission from their relatives. View full details of our criteria in our Street Naming and Number Policy Guidance.

Finally, please also tell us if you believe any local place or street names have troubling links to historic figures.   

We are data
rating button