BOLTON Council has denied a claim it had planned to name streets in a new development after the horrors of the Second World War.

The idea came to light in a report from the think tank, the New Local Government Network, released last week, which suggests councils should give residents the chance to name their streets and parks after their heroes.

It says local councils should hold X Factor type competitions to find new place names. It would mean we could see Nat Lofthouse Way, Amir Khan Close and Fred Dibnah Drive in the town.

However, the report also warns about the use of inappropriate street names — and cites Bolton Council as an example. The report’s author, James Hulme, said: “Celebrating the achievements of local people would give areas a unique identity and focus, especially at a time when there is concern over identikit high streets.

“It would also be a strong sign that local areas are proud for their heritage and be an opportunity to enlighten newcomers and tourists to the area of the many achieved there.”

The report says that the council apparently “opposed a development of 365 luxury homes in their area so vociferously that when the building work proceeded against their wishes, they sought to seek some revenge by proposing the street names Hitler Avenue, Belsen Crescent, and Goering Drive as a means of deterring buyers.”

A spokesman for Bolton Council said: “This urban myth is nonsense and we can confirm that the council never considered using the street names mentioned in the report.

“However, we think the myth may have originated from a comment made at the time of a development which provoked a lot of debate in the town.

“As the report states the truth has been lost in the mists of time and we are not sure of the precise details of the origin of the comment.

“We can categorically state that no plan to name streets in this way has ever been produced.”

lucy.ewing@theboltonnews.co.uk