The address of a property is fundamental, as more institutions and the general public require an efficient means of locating and referencing properties. The Council is the street naming and numbering authority for the area. It carries out these functions under the provisions of the London Government Act 1963 and the London Building Acts (Amendment) Act 1939.
The Council will assign postal addresses to new properties and developments. Postcodes are determined by Royal Mail after they receive confirmation of the address assigned by the Council. All enquiries about postcodes should be directed to Royal Mail.
Frequently asked questions
I find that people have difficulty locating my property as there is no street name plate or there is a lack of name plates in my area. What can be done?
Please contact us and we will advise you of the options.
I have seen a public notice/advert in the local paper. How can I make an objection to the naming of a new development/street?
When a new street is named we would normally expect the developer to put forward three suggestions. Notices bearing the three suggestions are placed on the street, attached to lamp columns.
If you have an objection to any or all of the names proposed you must put your objection in writing and send it to the address on the notice. All street naming is subject to consultation with the emergency services and the Royal Mail.
How do I get official confirmation of my address?
Please contact us. It would be helpful to provide a map with the exact location.
How do I find out the postcode for my house?
Please contact Royal Mail for any queries about postcodes.
Can I name my house without contacting the Council?
If a property is already numbered, a property owner can additionally name their property without contacting the Council as long as it does not conflict with an existing property name in that locality. The property name in this case will not officially form part of the 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 only need to seek permission from the Council if there is no number allocated in the official address (i.e. if the property has been allocated a name as part of its official address).
How do I name 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 state clearly their new preferred name.
We will contact Royal Mail to see if they have knowledge of a similar named property in the locality. We check our information systems and if the name is satisfactory, then the new address is registered and you will be informed accordingly. If there is an issue with your preferred name, we will request alternatives.
The property name change information is then sent to Royal Mail, the emergency and essential services and other relevant council services. It is the responsibility of property owners to inform their own personal contacts etc. This service may be chargeable.
If I am developing a single property/small development, how do I number properties?
If you are a developer of a new property (single or small development), you should write to us as soon as you commence work on site. A single or small development will usually be numbered within the existing street numbering context. If the property is to be located between existing numbered properties, then often ABC suffixes may have to be attached to adjoining numbers, for example 12A, 12B, 12C etc.
The information is then sent to public utilities, the emergency services, Land Registry, Ordnance Survey and relevant Council services. 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 I am developing a large estate, how do I name new streets and number properties?
If you are a developer of a large estate, you should write to us as soon as you commence work on site with your street/block naming proposals. We will initially check your proposed street names for duplication in the local area and if they are appropriate we will commence the statutory 28 day consultation phase.
During this phase, we will post public notices on the street and directly consult the emergency services and Royal Mail. If there are no material objections to the naming proposals we will formally assign the names to the streets/residential blocks and assign street/flat numbers as appropriate.
Following the assignment we will then register the street name/s on the highway register. The information is then sent to public utilities, emergency services, Land Registry, Ordnance Survey and relevant Council services.
You will also be sent a copy of the naming and numbering assignment and we would ask you to a) inform all your prospective occupiers of their new property address and b) ensure that first registration of the property at the Land Registry contains the assigned addresses. You will be asked to erect street/block name-plates and street flat numbers as appropriate.
What happens if a street needs renaming or renumbering?
On rare occasions it may become necessary to consider renaming or renumbering a street. This is only carried out in exceptional circumstances when:
- there is demonstrable confusion over a street's name and/or house naming/numbering which would give concern in the event of an emergency
- a majority of residents/occupiers 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.
To promote a change of street/block name or numbering we would ballot the affected local residents/occupiers on the issue. Hopefully there would be unanimous support, but we require at least a two-thirds majority to make a change. If that majority is achieved, we will commence the statutory 28 day consultation phase.
During this phase, we will post public notices on the street and directly consult the emergency services and Royal Mail. If there are no material objections to the naming proposals we will formally assign the names to the streets/residential blocks and assign street/flat numbers as appropriate.
If you think you have a street or block naming issue, please contact us at the address below, or download an application form.
This service may be chargeable.