Yendi holds community durbar on street naming

The Yendi Municipal Assembly, has organised a day’s community durbar in Yendi on the Street Naming and Property Addressing system (SNPA) for 67 chiefs and other groups on the relevance of the exercise.

The target groups were drawn from Zohe, Gagbeni, Balogu, Guntinle and Gamazee Zones in the Municipality.

Mr Agyapong Sarfo Kantanka, Municipal Coordinating Director, said in April 2013, a presidential directive was given to all metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAS) to identify, name and number all streets and properties within their respective areas within 18 months.

He said as planning authorities, the MMDAs have the responsibility for spatial planning to primarily address the issue of orderly human settlement development, and that the local government authority requires that all physical developments should have written permits from the assemblies with statutory planning committee as the body charged specifically with these responsibilities.

Mr Sarfo Kantanka said in addition the third schedule of Legislative Instrument 1996, local government (department of district assemblies) commencement instrument 2009, mandates the Department of Physical Planning (DPP) to undertake street naming, numbering of houses and other related issues.

He said in line with the planning mandate of MMDAs, streets are to be named as properties including open and development parcels of land, numbered to serve as basis for assigning addresses to facilitate easy identification of places, delivery of services and better management of urban settlement and communities.

He told the participants that the street address system of MMDAs facilitates mobilisation of local revenue known as internally generated funds and management of the urban setting and services.

Mr Sarfo Kantanka said the exercise would enable decentralised agencies to identify and monitor public assets in respect of their age, number and condition to facilitate urban planning and management investment.

Mr Pamphilio Nielakuu, Municipal Physical Planning Officer said street names shall not be duplicated in a geographical region.

According to him, street names would provide community image and shall be drawn from local history, culture and tradition saying: "Existing historical road names shall be retained when they comply with requirements."

He added that naming streets after living persons would be avoided unless in exceptional cases.

Mr Pamphilio said the SNPA would facilitate easy delivery of health, fire and security services especially in times of emergencies, and also improve easy location of critical facilities in towns and cities.