Street naming and numbering

To apply for single property or small developments please contact us.

If you are a developer of a new property (single or small development), you should contact us as soon as you start 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 a numerical followed by an alphabetical letter will be used. For example, 12A, 12B, 12C.

If the street has named properties, the development plot numbers will be used initially to register the property address.

You will also be sent a copy of the registered address from which we would ask you to inform your prospective purchasers of their new property address.

If you are a developer of a large estate, you should contact us as soon as you commence work on site. This is so that we can process the naming of any new streets and the numbering of your new properties without delay.

Please note that we do not currently accept names of people living, names of the deceased will only be considered 20 years after date of death.

We will check your suggested street names for duplication in the local area and forward them to Royal Mail for consultation.

When we have an agreed name, we will register the street name (or names) and prepare a numbering schedule. You will also be sent a copy of the naming and numbering schedule and also a certificate for the house owner.

Where appropriate, you will be asked to provide new street name plates to our standard design and a cost will be provided at the appropriate time.

A developer wishing to name a street should read and complete the street naming guidance notes, street notification form and the time table of street naming process.

On rare occasions, it is necessary to rename or renumber a street. This is usually only done as a last resort when:

• There is confusion over a street’s name and/or numbering
• A group of residents are unhappy with their street name
• 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, delivery services or emergency services

Existing residents will be contacted and their views taken into account. We will then consult the Royal Mail for their position on the issue.

To change a street name, we will ballot the local residents on the issue. Hopefully there will be 100 per cent support, but we need at least a two-thirds majority to make the change. This is a very time consuming process and we are only able to progress one of these issues at any time.

However if you think you have a street naming issue, please contact us.

If a property is already numbered, a property owner can also name their property without contacting the council.

The property name in this case will not officially form part of the property address. The property number must still be displayed and referred to in any correspondence.

You only need to get permission from the council if there is no number allocated in the official address.

This service may be chargeable.

• Street Naming and Numbering guidance notes [PDF, 149Kb]
• Street naming notification form [PDF, 315Kb]
• Time table of street naming process [PDF, 86Kb]