Naming/Renaming Property
Can I name my house without telling the Council?
If a property is already numbered, a property owner can additionally name their property without contacting the Council although they are strongly advised to do so in order to avoid conflict with an existing property name in that locality. The property name in this case will not form part of the official 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 need to seek permission from the Council if there is no number allocated in the official address (ie 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 their new preferred name. If you are moving into a property and wish to re-name the property following your move, you should indicate your moving date.
We will check our information systems and if the proposed name does not conflict with any other in use in the area, then the new address is registered and you will be informed accordingly. If there is an issue with your preferred name, we will contact you to discuss it.
The property name change information is then sent to Royal Mail, Emergency Services, and relevant Council Services. It is the responsiblity of property owners to inform their own personal contacts etc.
What 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
- 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.
Residents, Parish and Ward Councillors will be consulted and their views taken into account. We will also ask Royal Mail's opinion.
For further details and an application form please see our Street Naming and Numbering Guidelines booklet.
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