A STREET name in Swanage could be changed after a holidaying family complained that it was racially insensitive.
Dorset County Council were contacted by a family who found Darkie Lane in Ulwell, near Ulwell Holiday Park, to be an “offensive” road name.
Interestingly, historical texts provided by Swanage Town Council reveal that the road was originally called simply Dark Lane.
In a book entitled Old Swanage by William Masters Hardy published in 1908, a line refers to leaving Swanage Farm and ‘going through Dark Lane’. In a 1909 lease of Swanage Farm, a map labelled the road as Dark Lane
More than 20 years later, the Swanage Street Directory of 1934 again called the road Dark Lane.
Having liaised with the family, councillor Peter Wharf – cabinet member for corporate development and change at Dorset Council – wrote a letter to the council which read:
“A family holidaying in Swanage have written to express their concern to find their accommodation on a street using a name that they found offensive and which they felt could very easily cause offence to others given our national history.
“The historic context for the name is purportedly innocent, relating to the lane being ‘dark’ and ‘shaded’ – though this does not avoid the potential for causing offence, particularly for visitors to the area who will likely be unaware of this context.
“Dorset Council’s Street Naming and Numbering Policy is clear that when naming new developments/streets it will not be acceptable to use a name that “could cause offence or be considered discriminatory particularly in regard to age, disability, race and ethnicity, faith and belief, sexual orientation, gender and sex.
“Whilst the policy does not account for the circumstances of this specific case, the underlying principles regarding the naming of streets are that they be inclusive given the diversity of our communities and visitor populations.”
Cllr Wharf then suggested that the council has three options:
Do nothing – leaving ‘Darkie Lane’ as the official name.
Change the name to ‘Dark Lane’ to preserve the historic context, whilst minimising the potential for offence.
Other – have you an alternative suggestion?
Swanage Town Council said: “This matter was referred to [us] following a complaint received by Dorset Council and it was discussed at the Town Council’s Planning and Consultation Committee Meeting held on Monday October 4, 2021.
“At the meeting, town councillors voted in favour of recommending to Dorset Council that consideration should be given to the renaming of Darkie Lane to Dark Lane, which would preserve the historical context, whilst minimising the potential for offence.”
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It was not mentioned at the meeting why the road name was changed after the 1930s.
A Dorset Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Dorset Council received a complaint over the summer from a holiday maker about the name of Darkie Lane in Swanage, which they found offensive.
“In response, we looked into the historical records of the naming of this road (which was originally called Dark Lane due to its shaded location) and asked Swanage Town councillors for their views.
“This issue was discussed at the Swanage Town Council planning committee meeting. We are awaiting a formal response from Swanage Council following their discussion.
“We will also consult with the residents living on this road to seek their views on the road naming prior to a final decision being made.”
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