Changing the name of King Street, Wellington

Fancy buying a house in Toxic Fallout Terrace, Lung Disease Lane or Coal Dust Close?

They are all roads that have been “renamed” by protesters opposed to the mining of 900,000 tonnes of coal in New Works, Little Wenlock, Telford. The campaigners, calling themselves the Protectorists, were out in force last weekend with a chalk and board.

They say the roads mark some of the side effects they claim will be caused by the mining.

Renamed streets across Wellington included Dawley Road, now christened Toxic Fallout Terrace.

Also getting a name change was Mill Bank, which according to the protesters is now called Lung Disease Lane.

Suzzy Murphy, from The Protectorists, said the group teamed up with a London art movement called Freee in a bid to rename the streets.

The members walked to each street sign and once there, performed a renaming ceremony before having their picture taken with the official street sign alongside their own mocked up version.

Others include New Works Lane, which is now Methane Lane and King Street, which is now Coal Dust Close.

Victoria Avenue is now Coal Cancer Crescent and High Street is now Climate Change Close.

Miss Murphy said one of the most significant name changes was Wellington Square, which is now being called Revolution Square.

As part of the ceremony to rename the streets, The Protectorists left the site at Huntington Lane in New Works with witnesses and three chalk holders.

Chalk holders are the people who write out the new name on the board. They then left for different parts of Telford and Wellington in a bid to rename the streets.

Miss Murphy said: “We have nearly been at the site a year and it has been a fantastic achievement.”

The group hit the headlines last year after it was revealed they built tunnels under the coal mining site where protesters were now living.

By Jason Lavan