A community hall east of Bathurst will retain its new name despite resentment among some residents.
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The matter generated heated debate at the latest Lithgow City Council meeting.
A group of Meadow Flat residents wrote a letter to the editor last month saying they were “disappointed, hurt and angry” that Lithgow Council had decided to rename the Meadow Flat Community Hall the Mac Scott Memorial Hall.
The residents said they felt a “sense of shame” that the hall, built in 1954-55, was now a memorial to one person rather than “to all the men and women who were inspired to build it”.
There was subsequent controversy about the letter, however, after it was claimed not all who had signed their name to the letter had agreed to sign it or knew about the contents of the letter.
A motion to consider reverting to the hall’s original name was put forward by councillor Joe McGinnes and seconded by councillor Martin Ticehurst at the latest Lithgow Council meeting.
Deputy mayor Ray Thompson, who chaired discussion on the item when Lithgow mayor Maree Statham left after declaring an interest, attempted to calm proceedings.
“Every time there’s something named after someone there is always some conjecture,” Cr Thompson said.
Councillor Frank Inzitari, speaking against the motion, said minutes from a 1999 meeting of the Meadow Flat Progress Association outlined a motion to change the hall’s name in honour of Mr Scott.
Lithgow City Council group manager Andrew Muir, who was asked to respond to the above claim from Cr Inzitari, said he believed that was the case, but some time after the motion the hall came under council ownership and the decision to rename the hall was forgotten.
In the end, only Crs McGinnes and Ticehurst voted for the original motion to reconsider the village hall’s name.
The hall was renamed after former Blaxland Shire mayor Mac Scott in March.
The late Mr Scott, who passed away in 2002, is Cr Statham’s father.
