A ROAD in Manningham will be named after a heroic local suffragette who was imprisoned as part of her fight for equal rights.

In February 1907 Lilian Armitage and several other suffragettes attempted to enter the House of Commons as part of a protest, and was arrested.

She spent 14 days in Holloway Prison and her name is on the Roll of Honour of Suffragette Prisoners.

At the time of her arrest she was the secretary of the ‘Women’s Social and Political Union’ a faction of the suffragette movement based in Bradford which had its base in 61 Manningham Lane.

But despite her role in the suffragette cause, there is little in her home city to mark her achievements.

Bradford Council had proposed to recognise her significance by naming a road in a new development in Manningham after her.

It is part of the “Bradford Pioneering Lasses” campaign, which focuses on improving the gender balance around the district when it comes to publicly honouring historical female figures.

The road suggested to bear her name was part of a development of Incommunities houses off Lumb Lane, a short walk from the suffragettes’ Manningham Lane base.

At a meeting on Wednesday evening, Bradford Council’s Bradford West Area Committee discussed the plans, and heard from members of Mrs Armitage’s family.

Members were told that Mrs Armitage was “a very brave woman when doing something like this was considered very dangerous.”

Her great-granddaughter Megan Armitage attended the meeting and said: “I voted for the first time last year. I would like to thank everyone for helping my great grandmother, who was such a brilliant, headstrong woman, get this recognition when previously people didn’t know much about her.”

Although the scheme to name roads after pioneering Bradford women had been widely praised, there was some online opposition.

After the story previewing the meeting made the news, a number of people took to social media to express anger that women should share the honour of having a street named after them with men, tree species and compass directions.

In response to the news, Paul Clarke Tweeted “What are we coming to?”

Denise Venn said: “Women in street names? How ridiculous can this get?”

Anthony M Peacock attempted to explain why women should not support such a scheme, saying: “Supposed gender imbalances are always unimportant, trivial matters that just go to prove feminists perpetually seek victimhood.”

But the Area Committee proved to be much more forward thinking and enthusiastic about the plans, with chair Councillor Mohammed Amran (Lab, Heaton) saying: “It is a real honour to name this road after such a lady.

“As a committee we welcome this, and thank officers for bringing this forward. We’re honoured to accept this.”

They than unanimously approved to name the road “Lilian Armitage Close.”

If they had not approved the name, a back up name of “St Judes Close” had been suggested.