Swiss Cottage or South Hampstead?

One issue that came up at the recent Swiss Cottage area forum (more soon on the decisions about local spending) was the name of the ward. Now council wards by their nature are somewhat artificial - they don't represent natural communities, since the need for equally sized wards takes precedence over natural communities.

Swiss Cottage has been the name of the ward, with slightly altering boundaries over the years, since at least the 1980s. Yet the view was made very forcefully to us that people don't think they live in Swiss Cottage, they think they live in South Hampstead. (Actually within the ward there are also people who consider they live in St John's Wood, and in Primrose Hill). One comment was "no-one lives in Swiss Cottage, it's simply a tube station and pub."

We're keen to hear views on this. Certainly estate agents often use the term South Hampstead, and our main residents group is called the Combined Residents Association of South Hampstead. It's also true that the Swiss Cottage conservation area is at a little distance from the tube station. Might it be the case that those more involved with Council services and council activities are more used to the term Swiss Cottage, while people without strong connections to the council are less focused on the term? Are there differences between newer and longer established residents.

The ward name probably can't be changed until the next time that ward boundaries are changed. What is more possible in the next year might be to change the name of the conservation area when we update the conservation area statement, and I will ask council officers to include this question in the consultation.

We're also keen to hear views on whether this nomenclature matters very much! But given the difficulty of getting people involved in the local community, it is certainly arguable that if local authorities use the name most people use, you're more likely to get them involved.