Statutory register - street naming and numbering
Street Naming and Numbering is a statutory function. The
relevant powers of local authorities are contained in Sections 64
and 65 of the Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847 and Section 17, 18
and 19 of the Public Health Act 1925. This legislation requires the
Local Authority to prepare street naming and numbering schemes and
to maintain a good standard of street nameplates. It also has
powers to re-name and re-number properties and streets where this
is considered to be necessary. Both are essential for the efficient
functioning of postal and emergency services as well as for the
convenience and safety of the general public. The council is also
responsible for issuing new addresses for property conversions. A
definitive record of all the property addresses and street names in
Allerdale is maintained in the Councils Local Land and Property
Gazetteer (LLPG).
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,
Emergency and Essential Services and other relevant Council
Services. It is the responsibility of property
owners to inform their own personal contacts etc.
Developing a single property/small development How do I number
properties?
Individual properties are generally built on infill land, Large
gardens or on a site of previously demolished properties. These
will be numbered within the existing sequence if possible or house
names will be used if necessary. Where building takes place on the
site of a demolished property, the new building will inherit the
existing number.
Developing a large estate How do I name new streets and number
properties?
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 street and the numbering of your new properties
without delay. We will check your suggested street names for
duplication in the local area and forward them to Local Councils
and Royal Mail for consultation. The name should not duplicate an
existing name and should have an historical connection to the
site.
When we have an agreed name, we will then register the street
name/s and prepare a numbering schedule. The details will be
registered on the LLPG and this information is then allocated to
public utilities, emergency services, Land Registry, and Ordinance
Survey. The following council departments will also be notified:
Contract Services, Democratic Services, Land Charges and Council
Tax.
What happens if a street needs renaming/renumbering?
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
is a very time consuming process and we are only able to progress
one of these issues at any time.