A number of roads in Luddenham will be receiving new names as a result of The Northern Road upgrade, with some residents getting a sneak peek of the changes.
A section of The Northern Road through Luddenham will be changed to Willmington Road, to honour a well-known family in the area, if residents approve.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said that in September and October last year, the community was invited to submit suggestions to name some of the new roads that were built or bypassed as part of The Northern Road upgrade between Mersey Road and Glenmore Parkway.
Liverpool City Council CEO, Dr Eddie Jackson, said Council resolved to rename the original section of The Northern Road through Luddenham as Willmington Road at its meeting on May 26.
“The original section of The Northern Road through Luddenham forms the boundary between Penrith City and Liverpool City Local Government Areas,” Dr Jackson said.
“The renaming of other sections of The Northern Road upgrade will be considered by Penrith City Council.”
With the green light from Liverpool Council, the changes still had to go to Penrith Council and the Geographical Names Board of NSW (GNB) for final approval, but residents spotted an early indicator of the names, with signs being erected prematurely.
“The names were inadvertently placed on temporary road signs, however these have been rectified,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.
A Penrith Council spokesperson confirmed that the name changes would go ahead if there were no objections by residents who will receive a new street number and road name.
“Penrith City Council along with Liverpool Council and Transport for NSW are writing to residents of Luddenham whose street address has been affected by the upgrade of The Northern Road,” the spokesperson said.
“The Geographical Names Board has approved, subject to consultation with residents, for the section of The Northern Road between the traffic lights which passes through the township of Luddenham to be named Willmington Road, while the former section of Elizabeth Drive will be named Farrier Place.”
President of the Luddenham Progress Association and life-long resident, Wayne Willmington said he did not submit the name suggestion, but was touched by the tribute to his family’s contribution to the community.
“It is such an honour for our family that have been part of the Luddenham community since the 1850s,” he said.
Property owners will be consulted in the coming months about the new names before they are officially announced.
A graduate of Western Sydney University, Emily covers Local, State and Federal politics for the Weekender, as well as crime and general news.
