North Yorkshire Council Removes Apostrophes from Street Signs

The decision aims to resolve database issues but has sparked local opposition and debates over linguistic standards.

North Yorkshire Council cites technical challenges with geographical databases as the reason for omitting apostrophes from street signs.
Residents of Harrogate express frustration, with some taking matters into their own hands to restore the punctuation.
The change reflects broader trends, as similar policies exist in the U.S. to avoid punctuation in geographical names.
Grammar advocates argue the importance of maintaining linguistic standards, citing historical and educational values.
The council's policy aligns with BS7666 standards, which recommend minimal punctuation in geographical names to prevent database errors.