Street naming and numbering

Our Engineering and Property Services team is responsible for the naming and numbering of all new property developments and roads.  This is generally carried out in consultation with parish councils.

Where formally requested by an owner/occupant the service also officially registers property name changes with the statutory authorities, of which there are approximately 30 to be notified e.g. Fire, Police, Ambulance. There is an administration charge (currently £100) for this service.

The service is also responsible for the erection & maintenance of street nameplates.

What if a street needs renaming or re-numbering?

On rare occasions it becomes necessary to rename or re-number a street. This is usually only done as a last resort when:

• There is confusion over a street's name and/or numbering
• new properties are built in a street and there is a need for other properties to be renumbered to accommodate the new properties
• the number of named-only properties in a street is deemed to be causing confusion for visitors, the delivery or emergency services.

Residents, Parish and Ward Councillors will be consulted and their views taken into account. We will also ask Royal Mail's opinion.

How do I rename my house?

In the case of addresses where there is no number allocated, the allocated name does form part of the official address. In this instance property owners wishing to change the property name need to put their request in writing, stating their name, the present full address of the property and their new preferred name. If you are moving into a property and wish to re-name the property following your move, you should indicate your moving date.

We will check our information systems and if the proposed name does not conflict with any other in use in the area, then the new address is registered and you will be informed accordingly. If there is an issue with your preferred name, we will contact you to discuss it.

The property name change information is then sent to approximately 30 organisations including Royal Mail, Public Utilities, Emergency Services, Land Registry, Ordnance Survey and relevant Council Services.

There is an administration charge (currently £100) for the above service.

 It is the responsibility of property owners to inform their own personal contacts etc.

How do I number properties for a single house or small scale development?

If you are a developer of a new property (single or small development), you should contact us as soon as you commence work on site. A single or small development will usually be named or numbered into the existing street. If the property is within a numbered road, then often ABCs are used along with the adjoining number (for example 12A, 12B, 12C...).

If the street has named properties, then the development plot numbers will be used initially to register the property address and subsequently, when the new owner chooses a name, we will follow our standard process of Property Name Change. The information is then sent to Royal Mail, Public Utilities, Emergency Services, Land Registry, Ordnance Survey and relevant Council services. You will also be sent a copy of the registered addresses from which we would ask you to inform your prospective purchasers of their new property address.

Can I name my house without telling you?

If a property is already numbered, a property owner can additionally name their property without contacting the Council although they are strongly advised to do so in order to avoid conflict with an existing property name in that locality. The property name in this case will not form part of the official property address, and the property number must still be displayed and referred to in any correspondence; for example:

'My House'(not part of official address)
1 My Road(official address)
Town
County
Postcode

You need to seek permission from us if there is no number allocated in the official address (ie. if the property has been allocated a name as part of its official address).

How do I name new streets and number new properties if I'm developing a large estate?

If you are a developer of a large estate, you should contact us as soon as you commence work on site so that we can process the naming of any new streets and the numbering of your new properties without delay. We will check your suggested street names for duplication in the local area and consult Town/Parish Councils where relevant.

When we have agreed names, we will register them and prepare a numbering schedule. The information is then sent to Royal Mail, Public Utilities, Emergency Services, Land Registry, Ordnance Survey and relevant Council services. You will also be sent a copy of the naming and numbering schedule from which we would ask you to inform all your prospective purchasers of their new property address. Where appropriate, you will be asked to provide new street name plates to our standard specification.