Street Naming and Numbering

Street naming and numbering

The address of a property has become an increasingly important issue. More organisations, postal and emergency services, and the general public need an efficient means of locating and referencing properties. The address data held in the three councils’ local land and property gazetteers and the national land and property gazetteer, are both continually maintained and updated in accordance with the requirements of BS7666.

The Building Control Partnership provides the street naming and numbering service on behalf of Fareham and Gosport Borough Councils.

Please note there is a charge for administering the provision of the street naming and numbering service. These charges are not subject to VAT.

Please contact The Building Control Partnership if you need:

• New roads and estates road names
• A new individual address
• Guidance on changing an existing address
• Guidance on street name plates
• Advice on building names.

Streets that are named and numbered range from new large developments consisting of many roads and properties to smaller developments of just a few houses.

House numbers are allocated once the road name is agreed. Postcodes are allocated by Royal Mail and confirmation of the correct postal addresses, together with layout plans are sent to the developers, Royal Mail, HM Land Registry, the emergency services, utility companies and other locally interested parties.

How to make an application

• To name or rename your property you will need to complete the application and charges form which should be accompanied by a location plan and relevant charge. Records are checked to establish that there is no duplication with the preferred house name. The local authority will confirm the amended address and notify all parties listed above
• It should be noted that if you wish to name a property, which has already been allocated a postal number, that postal number must remain part of the official property address and cannot be dropped in favour of using the house name alone
• House names alone are not favoured by the local authority or the emergency services as a number readily identifies the location of a property in a road. The only exception to this will be on the occasions, particularly in rural areas, where a street numbering sequence does not exist. When this does occur, we will accept the use of a building name to identify the property
• Street numbers and building names should always be prominently displayed where they can be easily read from the public highway.
• Please remember if the name or number is not clearly displayed the emergency services may not be able to locate your property.

New roads and estates road names

The selection of new street names is a matter which requires careful consideration to ensure that they are suitable for the area and will not conflict with or duplicate any existing names within the same locality.

Most developers are familiar with the local authority’s street naming and numbering procedure and will usually apply at an early stage for a numbering and naming scheme.

How to make an application

In order to make an application for a new street name, please submit the following:

• A completed application form
• A4 sized location plans
• Suggestions for street names
• The correct fee.

The application process

Providing the names are not similar to anything already existing in the area we will consult Royal Mail and local ward councillors; if they agree with the choice approval will be given. On the rare occasions that agreement is not reached the matter is passed to the Council’s Cabinet or Board to make the final decision.

Sometimes it is not until a developer applies to a public utility company for a service to be connected that it becomes apparent that a postal address has not been requested/agreed. As the utility companies will not connect their service until the local authority has allocated an address, the developer usually rectifies this very quickly.

Following agreement with the developer to the proposed street naming and numbering, Royal Mail is asked to allocate postcodes. Royal Mail will not issue a postcode until informed by the local authority that an address has been allocated. The address is not complete without the correct postcode.

When the street name has been agreed a layout plan and a street numbering and naming schedule is prepared which allocates a number and street name to the developer’s plot number. The Building Control Partnership will then notify the statutory bodies and service providers such as the emergency services, council tax, Royal Mail etc.

Purchasers of new properties should be careful when passing on their new address details that they are using the postal number and not the plot number, as the two are not necessarily the same. Purchasers should also check that what they believe is the official street name is in fact not just the developer’s site name.

Allocating postcodes – larger companies

The local authority is not responsible for issuing new postcodes. This is the responsibility of Royal Mail. However they will not issue a postcode for a new street or property until requested to do so by us.

Postcodes for commercial premises are allocated in the same way as residential premises, but a large company or business can apply to Royal Mail for its own code – known as a large user code. Application for a large user code is the responsibility of the user, as they will know what volume of mail they generate.

Enquiries about postcodes can be dealt with direct at: Address Management Unit, Royal Mail, Admiral House, Admiral Way, Doxford, International Business Park, Sunderland SR3 3XW Email: addressdevelopment@royalmail.com

Creating new highways

A common way of creating new highways is by an agreement between developers and the local Highways Authority (Hampshire County Council) under Section 38 of the Highways Act 1980.

These agreements are most often made with housing developers, who agree to build the roads to standards laid down by the Highways Authority. In return Hampshire County Council agrees to adopt the roads and to maintain them thereafter as public highways. However, until a road has been adopted it remains private and the responsibility of the developer/homeowners.

It is the developer’s responsibility to erect the street name boards in accordance with the signed agreement and approved street name. If you are purchasing a new property you should ask your legal advisor for further advice.

Address Management

Street naming and numbering is an important aspect of modern life that perhaps everyone takes for granted, but it is sufficiently important to need legislation to enforce the requirements of government and local government in this area. The address data is held in the three local authorities’ Local Land and Property Gazetteer and the National Land and Property Gazetteer, which are both continually maintained and updated in accordance with the requirements of BS7666.

Street naming and numbering is a statutory function. The relevant powers for local authorities are contained in Sections 64 and 65 of the Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847, and Sections 17, 18 and 19 of the Public Health Act of 1925. Both Acts are still in force even though they exceed 150 years and 75 years respectively. The legislation requires the local authority to prepare street naming and numbering schemes and to maintain a good standard of street nameplates. Both are essential for the efficient functioning of postal and emergency services as well as for the convenience and safety of the general public.

Public Health Act 1925, S 19 gives authorities the power to insist that the name of every street shall be shown in a conspicuous position and also alter or renew it if it becomes illegible. This section makes it illegal to pull down a street name, which has been lawfully set up, or fixes a notice or advertisement within close proximity to the sign. Anyone found guilty of infringing these requirements is liable to a fine imposed by the Magistrates.

The legislation also gives the local authority the ability to make Regulations about erecting the names of public streets and ensuring that the names and numbers of buildings are displayed by owners in accordance with those regulations.

New individual address

Where a new house is erected on an in-fill site between existing properties, the new dwelling will be given a number which follows on from the existing properties. In many cases this will have to be a suffix of the adjoining number such as 16a, 17b. Where building takes place on the site of a demolished property, the new building may inherit the existing number.

In order to make an application for a new address, we would request that an the following is submitted

• A completed application form
• A4 sized location plans
• The Appropriate fee.

If the existing property does not have a number, a name may be proposed. The name will then be checked to ensure it does not conflict with any others within the local vicinity and then the statutory bodies will be notified as before.

Changing an existing address?

If you move house/business and decide that you want to give the property a name, or you wish to change the existing name, you must consult with the local authority before you do this. The necessary checks can then be carried out before agreement to the change.

It is very important that this procedure is followed; otherwise the statutory bodies and emergency services will not be aware of the change and in the event of an emergency callout their arrival could be substantially delayed.

In order to make an application for a change of address, we would request that an the following is submitted

• A completed application form
• A4 sized location plans
• The appropriate fee.

Remember the accuracy of addresses is very important for a variety of reasons, including personal on-line transactions. If your house has a number allocated to it, you must legally keep this as part of your address but you may add a house name to it as well.

Under Section 18 of the Public Health Act 1925 the local authority can alter the name (and numbers of any street) if there is a particular need to do so. We will give careful consideration to the reasons for the request and give a decision after consultation with the emergency services and Royal Mail. If the scheme is implemented each occupier will be notified together with advice on what action to take.

Please note where a property does not have a postal number any change of house name must also be notified directly to Land Registry (PG002 – Keeping your address for service up to date). For further information please visit Royail Mails website

Street nameplates

When a road is built as part of a new development it is the responsibility of the developer to arrange for the installation of a street nameplate to the appropriate specification. Recommendations for the design and installation of street nameplates can be found on Appendix A and B of the Department of Transport Circular – Circular Roads 3/93 that can be viewed on the Department of Transport website.

The local authority will take over responsibility for maintaining the nameplate once the street has been adopted.