Court decides street name battle

Magistrates will decide on North Parade or Owain Glyndwr Square

A Welsh council has landed up in court after a rumpus over the naming of a town's street.

Ceredigion Council wants to name part of Aberystwyth's North Parade after Welsh rebel leader Owain Glyndwr.

But businesses do not want any name change and the Chamber of Commerce has led a revolt of its own by objecting to naming the 56 metre by 28 metre area in honour of the Welsh hero.

Now the council has received a summons to appear before magistrates over the controversial renaming.

The court will decide what the name will be next Tuesday.

When I objected I had no idea I would have to go to court Ceredig Davies

The revolt has been headed by chamber secretary Ceredig Davies, who objected to the move because his members in that area of town say they do not want the name changed.

"If there had been a call for the name to be changed form North Parade then fair enough, but no one wants any changes to be made," said Mr Davies.

He will appear in court with town jeweller John Davies to fight their case on Tuesday.

"This is not the first time the council has angered us because after a townscape improvement plan drawn up in 1998 they started calling that area Bank Square," he said.

"I don't know where they got that name from because North Parade has been North Parade for more than 200 years."

Mr Davies said the business community had rejected any name change from North Parade when asked by the council for its views in 2001.

"When I objected I had no idea I would have to go to court," he added.

Owain Glyndwr captured Aberystwyth castle

But a council spokesman said that a resolution to rename Upper North Parade, Owain Glyndwr Square had been passed on St David's Day in 2001.

An informal consultation then took place which resulted in Aberystwyth town council - and many individuals and businesses - rejecting the idea.

Under the 1925 Public Health Act, official objections means that magistrates will have to decide the outcome of the name battle.

Rebel leader Owain Glyndwr had strong connections with Aberystwyth.

The warlord captured Aberystwyth Castle in 1404 only to lose possession of it four years later when the castle was the first in Britain to be attacked by guns.