Lane naming deferred
Gosford Council has deferred naming an unnamed laneway at Woy Woy, that had originally been proposed to be named Stockman Lane.
Council had advertised the naming of the street, with one submission received suggesting the name Stebbing Lane.
A report from council stated that "substantiation for the alternative naming is based on the following history".
In the early 1950s, Frederick Stebbing owned and operated Ocean Beach Electrical Service.
In the 1960s, the Stebbing Family opened the first TAB in Umina Beach.
Frederick Stebbing's son, Frederick (known as Greg), was born at Gosford Hospital in 1956.
He attended Umina Primary and Umina High schools.
Greg played many sports and was a rugby league player for Umina Rugby League Football Club, according to the council report.
Greg built the first house in the unnamed laneway in 1987 or 1988.
Greg passed away in 2001.
The submission stated that it would be a "moving tribute to the Stebbing family who have resided on the Peninsula for 54 years to name the unnamed laneway Stebbing Lane in memory of Greg Stebbing".
The report stated that no documentary evidence of the above information had been provided or sought yet.
It also stated that both the Registrar-General and Department of Lands had advised they have no objection to the proposed naming of Stockman Lane.
The report stated that "if council was of a mind to accede to the request to change the proposed name to Stebbing Lane, this would mean an additional delay of at least two months to allow for a further exhibition of the new name and a report back to Council for final resolution".
The report stated that if council decided to approve the change in naming of the lane to Stebbing Lane council would then require the submission of documentary evidence to verify the information followed by a public exhibition of the proposed new name.
The original request to name the lane, considered by council in August, was from a resident who had moved into a new home which had its access via the laneway.
The resident was concerned that without an official address delivery of mail and other items as well as emergency responses would be affected.
This was the catalyst for council deciding to name the laneway.
The resident has contacted council several times to check the status of the process and has expressed some concern with the length of time.
The unnamed laneway is located between Squirrel St and Billabong St, Woy Woy.
Council agenda ENV.25, March 7