FOI request details

Request

Subject: contested history in council areas

Reference: LBR-FOI-00401

I am interested in issues of race in the built environment

For the last year up to date, but inclusive of information and documents from work which may have begun before this period and is still being pursued by the council.

(For example, a project to identify monument may have begun in 2020, but the list compiled from this project may still be used by the council now)

Could you please provide any list or review/research/report/survey of locations (streets/buildings/parks), or public art (such as statues), plaques, commemorations, graves, memorials that the council has produced in relation to slavery, colonialism, empire/British Empire, racism, white supremacy, Black Lives Matter, decolonising, racial justice.

In question form: 'What in the built environment has the organisation, or a group working on its behalf, identified as being linked to racism, slavery, colonialism: that is, contested history?'

Could you please provide details of what being done to highlight, reinterpret, redisplay, or rename aspects of the environment in the council area identifying in part 1 of this request

In question form: 'What work (such as adding interpretation, or information boards, or plaques close to contested monuments) has been undertaken by the council to address these legacies?

If applicable, can you please provide information on what is being done to address issues of slavery, colonialism, empire/British Empire, racism, white supremacy, Black Lives Matter, decolonising, racial justice in council museums?

For example, what information boards have been added, what has been taken off display or put on display, what new plaques have been erected?

The same as for part 3, but can you provide information on how council libraries have addressed these issues

For example, have any books been specifically banned or removed from the library? Has a system of trigger warnings been established for sensitive topics?

(This can be broad, I do not need an full check of all items in the library; please do not get bogged won in this if it is likely to go over the limit)

For the above work to address contested history, can you please provide information any grants received by the council to pursue this work, or any payments or grants made by the council to pursue this work (for example, to a local anti-racism group tasked with identifying contested history)

Can you provide information on any schools in the council area that have applied to change their name in relation to issues of contested history

Full Disclosure - 8 February 2023

What in the built environment has the organisation, or a group working on its behalf, identified as being linked to racism, slavery, colonialism: that is, contested history?'

No formal reviews or research has been conducted.

An informal request came through in June 2020 about what would be the process to change the name of Colston Road in East Sheen. It was related to Edward Colston's historical links to the Royal African Company.

Could you please provide details of what being done to highlight, reinterpret, redisplay, or rename aspects of the environment in the council area identifying in part 1 of this request

In question form: 'What work (such as adding interpretation, or information boards, or plaques close to contested monuments) has been undertaken by the council to address these legacies?

n/a

For example, what information boards have been added, what has been taken off display or put on display, what new plaques have been erected?

The Arts Service manages the Borough's Art Collection and from time to time change the displays of the objects. In 2022 this included an exhibition called Lines of Dissent which involved contemporary artists making responses to the collection highlighting a number of issues including colonialism and racism.

The same as for part 3, but can you provide information on how council libraries have addressed these issues

For example, have any books been specifically banned or removed from the library? Has a system of trigger warnings been established for sensitive topics?

(This can be broad, I do not need an full check of all items in the library; please do not get bogged won in this if it is likely to go over the limit)

No books banned

No trigger system established

The library stock policy says:

'The library service does not endorse or promote any particular political, religious or social ideology and does not exercise censorship. Library collections should offer the customer the greatest possible freedom of choice and reflect all points of view. Items which have not incurred any penalty under the law will not be excluded merely because they are controversial. Items in stock will not be removed from the shelf based on the personal tastes of readers. This policy is in line with the MLA guidance endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) in February 2009.

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames covers diverse communities with huge variations in age, culture, economic stability, education, lifestyle and aspiration. The stock must address the needs of everyone in the local community, including those who do not currently use the service.'

No grants received or allocated

Can you provide information on any schools in the council area that have applied to change their name in relation to issues of contested history

N/A

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Please note that our responses were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of release, and have not subsequently been updated. This information should be considered an historical record only.

FOI request details

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