RESIDENTS of Rebecca Close, a development of four houses at Besford, are looking to change the name to The Granary and have told Wychavon District Council they are willing to pay for new signs.

The developers advertised the houses as The Granary but Defford and Besford Parish Council opted for the name Rebecca Place.

Graham Evans, clerk to the parish council, said: "We feel some sympathy with the residents and agreed not to prevent them approaching Wychavon for a name change. The parish council will not stand in their way."

On behalf of the parish council he has told Wychavon that the name The Granary would confer a totally false history to the site.

"Prior to World War II, the area was farmland," he said. "When the land was requisitioned for the building of the airfield this site was acquired to house the support facilities for an increasing service population which ultimately reached over 2,000 and included shops and recreation areas including chapel and gymnasium.

"It was the latter which was used to store grain after derequisition but it was certainly still a gymnasium as late as 1956."

Mr Evans pointed out: "The events and radar systems associated with the airfield were not only nationally important, they were internationally important and represent the greatest chapter in the history of the village.

That is why a name was chosen to reflect in part the nature of the site."

He has suggested to the district council that it should formulate a policy on street naming because at the moment it appeared that whatever the developer chose was what the buyers expected.