Street Naming and Numbering

General Procedures

Streets are named and buildings are allocated numbers when they are first built and then from time to time, to overcome practical difficulties or to accommodate new development, changes have to be made.

This exercise is necessary if properties are to be clearly and readily identified for purposes of delivery of mail, goods, services and more importantly, so that emergency services can locate premises without delay.

The address held at Wychavon is maintained to the BS7666 standard of addressing as laid down the Central Government and reflects the geographical location of the property.  We are required to hold our Local Land and Property Gazetteer in this format and submit to the National Land and Property Gazetteer(NLPG) regularly.  This gazetteer is a central database of addresses that will enable the electronic delivery of property based information.  Each property is allocated a Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) and this will eventually enable all information relating to a property to be gathered together.

At Wychavon the following procedures are in place

• Request from Developer to allocate street name and number
• Any suggestions for a street name from the developer are sent to the relevant Parish or Town Council to consider when making their own suggestions.
• Recommendation is made known to the developer
• If an agreement is not reached between the developer and the Parish/Town Council the Local Member and Planning Port folio holder are advised.
• The final decision rests with the Planning Port folio holder and Head of Planning
• The numbering is submitted to the developer for agreement.
• The postcode is requested from Royal Mail
• The agreed street name is notified to the Statutory Authorities, and consultees.
• The internal departments of Wychavon are notified.
• The developer is sent details to inform new purchasers.
• An estimate for the provision of the street signs is sent to the developer
• On receipt of payment from the Developer the signs are order and the developer erects them.

It is the responsibility of the owners and occupiers to ensure that the number allocated to a property is clearly marked in such a way so that it is in a prominent position and remains legible from the street. The number should always be retained even when owners and occupiers choose to give a name to their property

Single New Developments

For a new dwelling that is not situated on a numbered road the new owner  should supply a name for consideration. The owner will be the new owner of the property and not the developer, unless the developer and the eventual owner of the property are the same. The choice of name should be checked with surrounding properties to ensure no duplication, which will also be checked when received by us.  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 confirmation sent to the owner accordingly. If there is an issue with the  preferred name, we will request alternatives.

The address is then registered with  Royal Mail, Emergency and Essential Services and internal departments of Wychavon. It is the responsibility of property owners to inform their own personal contacts etc.

If the new property falls within a numbered street then a number will be allocated. If the property is within a numbered road, then ABCs are used along with the adjoining number (for example 12A, 12B, 12C...).  

It is the responsibility of the house owner to display the house name or number clearly.

Addition of A Name To A Numbered Property

Should you wish to add a name to a numbered property you will need to contact the Council.  Please check the surrounding area carefully to ensure there is no duplication  and then write to us enclosing a plan showing the boundary of the property and the name chosen.  The property number must still be displayed and referred to in any correspondence; for example:

'My House'
1 My Road
Town
County
Postcode

The address with then be registered with Royal Mail and confirmation with be sent to you along with a list of Statutory Authorities you may wish to contact.  The internal departments of Wychavon will all be notified of the change.

Re-Numbering of Existing Streets

On rare occasions it becomes 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, the delivery 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% support, but we require at least a two-thirds majority to make the change.

This 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 at the address below.

Provision of Street Name Plates

The Council is responsible for ensuring that street name plates are provided and fitted in suitable positions.  The statutory requirement is for a sign to be placed at the start and end of a road and it is vital in the event of an urgent situation that you and your street can be located quickly by the Emergency Services.

The Council is also responsible for repair and maintenance of street name plates when this becomes necessary either due to accidental damage, vandalism or normal wear and tear.

In the case of a new development however, the developer is required to provide and erect  the initial street name plates.  These are purchased to the Council's specification and the costs are covered by the developer.  They are then maintained by the Council.

The funding available for the maintenance of street name plates is limited and therefore a list of works is maintained and the repair and replacement is on a priority basis.  There are a number of signs which are old but if they remain legible will not be replaced immediately.

To report damaged, missing or illegible street names plates please use the contact details below.

For more information contact:

Shirley Layland
Corporate Database Manager
Telephone: 01386 565331
Email: shirley.layland@wychavon.gov.uk