Council in twist over 'wrong' Cornish name

TOWN councillors in St Ives have rejected a Cornish-language street name in favour of one made up by schoolchildren after struggling to pronounce the correct version.

Members were asked to formally adopt the name Telya Tor for an under-construction housing development in Carbis Bay after a competition at a nearby primary school.

But when asked to confirm the spelling, Cornish language experts ruled the translation of 'family land' as incorrect.

Official keepers of the Cornish tongue, the Cornish Language Partnership, said the sign should read Tir Teylu.

But after a series of tongue-twisting exchanges, which saw councillors struggling to pronounce both names, members decided to endorse the original incorrect version.

Cllr Ron Tulley said the alternative suggestion would make residents' lives 'a misery'.

"I'm all for rejuvenating the language but we must think of people living there – every time they give the name out over the telephone they will have to repeat it," he said.

"At least tre, pol and pen are understood by people outside Cornwall."

Cllr Colin Nicholls was equally unimpressed, saying: "I have never heard such a stupid name in my life – it would be much easier to call it St Uny Close."

A panel of judges selected the name for the 20 affordable homes at Polmennor Drive after suggestions by the children, who have been studying the language.

It was only when eagle-eyed town clerk Louise Dowe contacted the county council-based group to double check the spelling that the dilemma arose.

Deputy mayor Yvonne Watson, who helped judge the naming competition, said: "The children all wrote down their suggestions on slips of paper and we felt that Teyla Tor was appropriate as it was land for families given by families.

"The original runs off the tongue and is a little easier to pronounce."

However, the Cornish Language Partnership, who agreed a single standard written form of the language earlier this year, disagreed.

Development manager Jenefer Lowe, a fluent speaker of Cornish, said she was disappointed by the decision because they had chosen something that 'doesn't mean anything'.

"It looks similar but it doesn't actually exist and no Cornish speaker could make anything out of it," she said. "Maybe it is a spelling mistake or an error looking up the words but language is either right or wrong in terms of translation and it's a little disappointing."

It is not the first controversy to hit the Devon and Cornwall Housing Association development of two and three-bedroom properties.

It originally sparked protests during the planning stage when residents claimed the extra traffic could lead to accidents. The plans also triggered an unsuccessful campaign to use the site for a new and improved school with housing built on the old school site.