A COUNCILLOR was the figure of a Facebook hate campaign when it was wrongly assumed he had named a new road in the borough after himself.
Blake Avenue in Basildon has, in fact, been named in honour of Second World War hero Sub-Lieutenant Arthur Giles Blake and not after borough councillor Kevin Blake.
Mr Blake and fellow Tory councillors were subjected to a number of Facebook rants over the saga, despite having nothing to do with the naming of the road, which is part of the new Acacia Park housing development in Gloucester Park.
Blake Avenue and seven other roads on the estate, off Broadmayne, were given their names after a local resident wrote to developers Barratt Homes and asked it to honour the fallen airmen, who had Essex links.
But campaigners who have been locked in a war of words with Tory councillors over selling the land, assumed it was after Mr Blake, the borough’s councillor for leisure.
Protester Andrew Buxton posted: “Another insult to the people of Basildon naming the road leading to the Tory housing estate!”
Another campaigner posted it was Mr Blake’s reward for “stealing from children throughout Basildon.”
A mocked-up a photo saying “Blake Avenue – I like pies!” was also uploaded.
Even Labour councillor Pat Rackley jumped to the wrong conclusion.
She said: “What’s next I wonder – new roads named after the Tory group?”
Mr Blake hit back yesterday. He said: “To think people would assume I would want to do this, have the power to do this and be able to do this without any consultation is just ridiculous. I am not a vain person and it’s not in my nature to want a road named after me – and I wouldn’t get it anyway.
“I must admit I did have a wry smile on my face as I had taken time to find out about the new development and knew several roads were being named after war heroes.
“I think this whole thing is a bit of an insult to them.
“I hope these campaigners are feeling a bit stupid now.
“I’m sure councillor Rackley will give me the respect of writing an apology to me about this. “Mr Buxton yesterday conceeded he had got the wrong end of the stick over the saga, but said: “I’m not apologising to Kevin Blake.
“Nobody has said sorry to us over the hell we’ve been put through with the ongoing building work down here.”
Councillor Rackley also admitted she had “got it wrong”.
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