More than a thousand people have signed a document calling for changes to two electoral divisions in the city, arguing the current titles fail to represent the historical, geographical and community characteristics of the neighbourhoods.
People living in these two parts of Coventry will be consulted about whether their ward titles need updating. A request containing 1,058 signatures has asked the local authority to rename Woodlands division, suggesting either Broadvale or Eastern Green & Tile Hill North as alternatives. The petition also proposes that Tile Hill & Canley should instead become Woodlands, or alternatively be titled Canley & Tile Hill South.
A gathering of the Cabinet member responsible for Community Safety and Cohesion this week voted to proceed with an eight-week engagement process with all those living in the affected areas.
The boundaries of Coventry’s electoral divisions were recently altered to balance out population shifts that have accumulated over time. This substantial revision meant this year’s local elections covered all 54 positions on the council.
Most division names remained unchanged despite their boundaries being redefined, except the former Westwood area becoming Tile Hill & Canley.
A submission presented to the council and organised by local activist Ian Rogers stated that the request was to modify ward names following recent boundary alterations that failed to consider local heritage or the geography of the area.
Residents maintain that Woodlands division no longer encompasses any of the woodland areas it was originally named after, as boundary changes mean these trees are now located in a neighbouring division.
Proposing Broadvale as one choice, they noted that the name should reflect the geographical features of the division, which spans a valley with Upper Eastern Green on one side and Broad Lane on the other. There is also a pub in Mount Nod named The Vale. The alternative suggestion would be Eastern Green & Tile Hill North.
The campaign argues that Tile Hill & Canley could become Woodlands instead, as this area now contains the remaining sections of woodland associated with the historic Forest of Arden landscape.
The petition states that preserving a connection to the historical woodland areas of this part of the city is important. As an alternative, the division could be renamed Canley & Tile Hill South because Tile Hill is currently divided between two electoral areas.
Mr Rogers was not present at the meeting but submitted a written statement explaining that existing names do not adequately represent local communities for the reasons outlined in the petition. He pointed out that Woodlands division no longer includes any of the woodland it was named after, while Tile Hill is divided across two adjacent divisions.
He noted that the council report identifies a possible risk of confusion from making further alterations so soon after the boundary review was implemented. However, many residents were not aware of the changes during the previous local election and cannot identify the name of the division where they live.
Consultation on electoral division names and accompanying coverage in local press could help residents develop a stronger sense of local identity and increase participation in democracy. Furthermore, current names may be misleading because they do not accurately describe the areas.
The report acknowledges that ward names could have been reviewed during the local government boundary review, which is accurate. However, local councillors did not raise concerns about proposed changes to Bablake or Woodlands divisions at that time.
Mr Rogers contacted the Local Government Boundary Commission for England in January 2025 to explain how he discovered the local inconsistencies after relocating to an area affected by the boundary changes. The commission informed him that the council has the authority to modify ward names if it chooses to do so.
He expressed hope that the council would undertake a consultation to determine whether broader backing exists for name changes, along with preferred options or alternative suggestions. He also hoped the council would recognise that the name recommendations in the petition were thoughtfully developed to better represent both divisions.
Liz Read, the council’s head of electoral services, informed the meeting that the boundary commission anticipated the council would conduct a consultation first and, if new names received widespread support, would then seek approval for the changes.
She explained that authorisation from the commission is required because the alterations would occur within five years of the most recent boundary changes taking effect.
Councillor John McNicholas, the Cabinet member for Community Safety and Cohesion, observed that a petition exceeding a thousand signatures demonstrated considerable backing and questioned whether there would be any financial implications for the council. Ms Read confirmed expenses would be negligible as the consultation would only need to reach all affected residents.
Councillor Amor Amor (Reform, Longford) suggested the consultation should extend beyond local inhabitants to include community organisations and businesses.
He also stressed the importance of publicising and championing any new name changes so that residents and businesses were fully aware of which division they belonged to. The council indicated this would be addressed separately if any name changes proceeded.
Councillor Stephen Gray (Green, Holbrooks) remarked that this was not the only location in the city where ward names may not correspond with their communities. He noted that it is essentially impossible to satisfy all requirements while ensuring every division accurately reflects how communities are organised.
Councillor McNicholas endorsed the proposal for a consultation to be undertaken. Once concluded, the findings will be presented at a subsequent meeting.
Should public opinion favour changing the ward names, a proposal would be submitted to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to obtain its agreement. A definitive ruling would then be made by the city council.