Why key parts of Coventry could be renamed

10 hours ago

Isabella BonehamWest Midlands

News image — Tile Hill resident, Neil Worwood, said the petition is a "waste of time and money"

Neil Worwood A person stands beside a street sign reading “Tile Hill Lane” on a grassy verge next to a residential street. Behind the sign are detached houses with cream and dark cladding, while large mature trees and dense greenery overhang the pavement. The person is wearing a navy top, grey shorts and blue trainers, with the scene photographed in daylight under a partly cloudy sky. — Tile Hill resident, Neil Worwood, said the petition is a "waste of time and money"

A bid to rename two council wards in Coventry has sparked debate over whether the changes are needed at all.

Leaflets have been delivered to households in the Tile Hill and Canley ward and the Woodlands ward asking residents whether the areas should be renamed following a petition signed by 241 people.

Residents are being asked to give their opinion via a QR code consultation that opened on 9 September and runs until 21 October. Some have told the BBC they oppose the proposed changes.

Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion, John McNicholas, said the council is "obliged to consider petitions" and it is "following a process of democracy to ensure people's voices are heard".

For Tile Hill and Canley ward, residents can choose between:

Woodlands
Canley and Tile Hill South
The name is not changed.

For Woodlands ward, the options are:

Broadvale Ward
Eastern Green and Tile Hill North
The name is not changed

The council said the alternative names were suggested by the creator of the petition, and that it spent £5,500 altogether on the leaflets and their delivery.

Tile Hill resident, Joel Lewis, said he was "completely against the proposed name change".

A side-by-side image of two Coventry City Council consultation leaflets asking residents for their views on proposed ward name changes. The leaflet on the left concerns Tile Hill and Canley ward, offering options including "Woodlands", "Canley and Tile Hill South", or keeping the current name. The leaflet on the right concerns Woodlands ward, offering options including "Broadvale Ward", "Eastern Green and Tile Hill North", or keeping the current name. Both blue leaflets feature a photograph of a historic building at the top, a QR code for responding to the consultation, and a deadline of 21 October. — The leaflets handed out to residents in the Tile Hill and Canley ward, and the Woodlands ward

"It feels like a pointless waste of time and money that could be spent on actual problems here. If this is the direction things are going, we may as well rename the potholes 'not holes'," he told the BBC.

The proposed changes follow a petition which ran from March until May, and boundary changes across Coventry last year, which were introduced to reflect population growth.

As part of that review, the former Westwood ward was renamed Tile Hill and Canley.

"The name has only recently been changed from Westwood to Tile Hill and Canley ward. Who in their right mind would be asking to change it yet again?" Tile Hill resident, Neil Worwood, said.

"Why wasn't there a petition to challenge it back in 2025 when the council decided there was going to be name changes, ward changes and boundary changes?

He added: "It is a complete utter waste of time and money that could have been spent on something more constructive."

'Two wards called Woodlands is nonsense'

One issue raised during the consultation is the possibility that residents in both wards could select "Woodlands" as their preferred name.

Worwood said: "You could end up with two wards being requested to be called Woodlands and that to me is an absolute joke".

McNicholas said: "We would need to look at that. You can't have two wards called Woodlands, that's an absolute nonsense."

Concerns have also been raised by Woodlands councillor, Julia Lepoidevin, that older residents could be excluded because responses must be submitted online through a council account.

McNicholas said support was available through local libraries.

"Every help will be given to ensure the consultation that is taking place can be heard by everybody," he said.

Google Maps A split-screen image showing two residential street scenes separated by a black vertical line. On the left, a road with a zebra crossing runs past a block of low-rise flats, with parked cars, trees and a Belisha beacon visible. On the right, a grassy corner and footpath sit in front of a semi-detached house, with mature trees and neighbouring homes in the background under a cloudy sky. — Tile Hill (left) and the Canley area (right) - areas included in a petition to change the name of

Tile Hill and Canley councillor, Marcus Lapsa, said he saw little benefit in changing the names again.

"I think Tile Hill and Canley are perfect for the area, and people of Tile Hill are proud to be part of a vibrant community. This is also the case for Canley," he said.

"During the boundary changes there was more than enough chance for anyone to put forward ideas and name changes. While I respect the process, I see no advantage in now changing the names."

Woodlands councillor, Adrian Bryant, said he understood the logic behind reviewing ward names but did not see it as a priority.

"Given the current economic climate and the range of challenges facing local residents and the council, there are many other matters that I believe warrant greater attention," he said.

The consultation results will be considered by McNicholas in November.

If the council decides a name change may be appropriate, it will then need to consult the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, as it has been less than five years since Coventry's electoral boundaries were reviewed.

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