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How streets are named and numbered
The address of a property is an important issue - Police, emergency services, and the general public need a way of locating and referencing properties. Your local council is the street naming and numbering authority for your area.
Can you name your house without contacting the council?
Provided your home already has a number, then the property owner can add a name to it without contacting the council. Councils have no powers over house names, the only guidance being that the owners should not choose one similar or the same to any other in the immediate locality.
The new name can be added to an existing postal address, but the postal number cannot be deleted from that address. The property name in this case will not officially form part of the property address; therefore the property number must still be displayed and referred to in any correspondence.
What if there is no house number?
House names alone are not favoured by councils or the emergency services as a number readily identifies the location of a property in a road. Other than in exceptional circumstances a house number should be prominently displayed so it can be easily read.
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 should put a request in writing to:
Royal Mail Address Maintenance Unit
Sunderland
SR3 3XW
Telephone: 08456 045060
Email: addressdevelopment@royalmail.com
The request should state your full name, the present full address of the property and state clearly the new preferred name. The property owner must contact the Royal Mail Address Maintenance Unit to see if the name is satisfactory, then the new address needs to be registered by the Royal Mail Address Maintenance Unit. If there is an issue with your preferred name, they will request an alternative.
It is the responsibility of property owners to inform their own personal contacts and relevant council services of any official change or addition to address.
What happens when a street needs renaming / renumbering?
On rare occasions it becomes necessary to re-name or re-number 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 re-numbered to accommodate the new properties
- the number of named-only properties in a street is deemed to be causing confusion for visitors and the delivery of emergency services
Report a problem with a street name sign to your local council
Your council is also responsible for making sure that street name plates are provided and are fitted in suitable positions. If you have a problem or fault with a street name plate in your area you should contact your local council. The following links will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local council website where you can find out more.
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