1.1. Wealden District Council has a statutory duty, under the Public Health Act 1925 (Sections 17-19) and the Town Improvement Clauses Act 1847 (Sections 64-65) to ensure that all streets are named and all properties are numbered appropriately.
1.2. For this reason, all proposed street names, property names and numbering must be approved by the Council through a Street Naming and Numbering process.
1.3. The purpose for this control is to ensure that new street names and property names and numbering comply fully with the Local Land & Property Gazetteer (LLPG) address standard, BS7666-2006. In turn, this ensures that properties are easily located by emergency services as well as ensuring the reliable delivery of mail, services and goods.
1.4. This policy details the Council’s Street Naming and Numbering criteria, processes and fees involved. Details of which processes the Council charges for are included in section 14.
1.5. The Council will not be responsible for any costs, losses or damages incurred by developers or individuals caused by or arising from a failure by it or them to follow or otherwise comply with the guidelines outlined in this policy.
2.1. The Council maintains and updates a comprehensive address database, known as the Local Land & Property Gazetteer (LLPG), which contains all official addresses in the District. All changes made through the Street Naming and Numbering process are included in the LLPG.
2.2. In addition to being used in the delivery of Council services, the LLPG feeds into a national address database, known as the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG). The address data in the NLPG is then provided commercially by Ordnance Survey as their ‘AddressBase’ product.
2.3. Therefore the Council’s Street Naming and Numbering process is the single most important source of address change intelligence.
3.1. The Council follows the criteria below when registering new street names:
- The duplication of names or names similar to those already in use in a town, village or in the same postcode area must be avoided. A variation in the suffixes (e.g. Road and Avenue etc.) will not be accepted as a sufficient reason to duplicate a street name.
- Wherever possible, street names should reflect the geography or history of the site or area. Where several streets are involved, a theme linking the names must be used to help identify an area.
- Street names should not be difficult to pronounce or awkward to spell, and should not cause offence on grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, belief & faith and disability.
- The use of a name relating to a living person is not permitted under this policy.
- The use of a name relating to a deceased person may be permitted providing the individual has been deceased, usually for at least 20 years, and has a significant local or historical connection to the area. Written permission from the family of the deceased must be obtained before it can be considered.
- Marketing names will not always become the registered street name and prospective purchasers should be made aware of this
3.2. New street names should end with one of the following suffixes, of which the Council chooses:
Approach, Arcade, Avenue, Chase, Circus, Close, Copse, Court, Crescent, Drive, End, Gardens, Glade, Grove, Hill, Lane, Mews, Mount, Park, Place, Rise, Road, Row, Square, Street, Vale, View, Way, Wharf.
3.3. New pedestrian ways should ideally end with one of the following suffixes:
Path, Walk, Way.
3.4. It is not lawful to erect a street nameplate until the street name has been confirmed in writing by the Council.
3.5. Whilst the Council is responsible for registering and naming new streets, the adoption of a highway in the Wealden District is a matter for East Sussex County Council Highways Authority.
4.1. The Council is responsible for the process of numbering of properties, which will be done logically and in accordance with this policy. Developers should contact the Council as early as possible in the development process so the correct numbering can be determined before properties are sold and services are required, thereby avoiding any confusion.
New Developments
4.2. The Council will number properties on new streets with odd numbers on the left of the main entrance to the street and even numbers on the right. In the case of a small cul-de-sac, consecutive numbering may be used in a clockwise direction, where logical, starting with the first house on the left of the main entrance of the development. It should be noted that plot and postal numbers will not always coincide.
4.3. Flats will be numbered in sequence and in a clockwise direction according to where they are accessed, as opposed to where they are located within a building or block.
4.4. Buildings, including those on corner plots, will be numbered onto the street where the main access point is to be found. Exceptions may be made for business premises with multiple entrances and occupancies and properties which are divided into flats.
4.5. All numbers will be used in the proper sequence and include number 13 unless a request to exclude this number is received from the developer. Where an existing street or road is to be extended, it would be appropriate to continue to use the same street name. This will include the continuation of the street numbering scheme.
Infill Development
4.6. Individual properties built on infill land, large gardens, or on the site of previously demolished properties, will be numbered within the existing sequence if possible, and letter suffixes (e.g. 16A) will be used where necessary. Where building takes place on the site of a demolished property, the new building will inherit the existing number.
4.7. Properties readdressed onto a different road will incur a new number which may include a letter suffix.
Flat Conversions
4.8. Where a property is sub-divided, such as in the case of flats or apartments, individual properties will always be suffixed with a number, i.e. Flat 1, instead of Ground Floor Flat or Flat A. It is preferred that in sub-divided buildings, the individual units retain the “parent” property street number, i.e. Flat 1, 20 High Street.
5.1. Whilst it is not acceptable to substitute a property number with a property name, a property name may be used in addition to a property number. The property number will always remain within the official address. A property name and/or number should always be clearly visible from the highway to aid identification. Where a property includes a name and number, both should be clearly visible.
5.2. As some properties were built before or without there being a formal numbering scheme in place, not all roads contain numbered properties. In circumstances where new houses are built in an existing road on which properties are named rather than numbered, new houses must be officially allocated names.
5.3. To avoid confusion, proposed house names should not repeat or be similar to the name of the road or that of any house or building in the same street, neighbouring streets or postcode area.
5.4. The Council is not responsible for erection or maintenance of nameplates on buildings or for directional signs to individual properties or groups of houses. All these are the responsibility of the owner(s)
6.1. There may be occasions where an official address as held on the Council’s LLPG does not match what Royal Mail holds in their Postal Address File (PAF).
6.2. Whilst the Council ensures that property addresses are geographically correct and include the name of the closest named road to the property, the Royal Mail’s Postal Address File (PAF) is created to suit their delivery service. Therefore the two addresses should not be confused.
6.3. Postcodes are allocated by Royal Mail and the Council request postcodes during the processes of registering any new addresses.
6.4. For further advice regarding the PAF and postcodes, customers should contact Royal Mail directly
7.1. An application requesting to add or change the existing name of a property must be made by, or with the authority of, the property owner. In circumstances where a property is jointly owned, all owners must be in agreement as to the house name change. By submitting an application, the applicant is confirming full agreement of all owners.
7.2. Applicants may propose up to three names in order of preference which will then be reviewed by the Council. Suggested names should not conflict with those already in existence in the same street, neighbouring streets or postcode area.
7.3. Where a proposed house name is similar to that of an existing property within the same settlement, the similarity of the postcodes will be taken into consideration in order to ensure both properties are easily distinguishable.
7.4. Once a house name has been approved by the Council and payment has been received, confirmation of the new address will be sent to the applicant. The Council will then notify a number of statutory bodies, including the Emergency Services, Royal Mail and Land Registry and also notify internal departments such as Local Taxation, Elections and Waste Management.
7.5. Whilst a house name may be added to a numbered property, not all external organisations, such as Royal Mail, will acknowledge both the house name and postal number on their database.
7.6. The Council will process property name change applications within 10 working days from date of payment.
8.1. Applications submitted for new developments must be accompanied by site plans clearly detailing the road layouts and plot numbers (minimum scale of 1:2500). The Council will check for approved planning permission before beginning the process of numbering, or in some instances naming, properties. Where there are to be blocks of flats, plans showing the floor layouts are also required to assist with this process.
8.2. Following the numbering process, the Council will contact Royal Mail to obtain a postcode. Once confirmed, the Council distributes the official postal addresses to a number of statutory bodies, including the Emergency Services, Royal Mail and Land Registry and also to internal departments such as Local Taxation, Elections and Waste Management.
8.3. As a matter of policy, Royal Mail will not publish addresses that are in the development stage until they are advised by the owner that the property is to be occupied.
8.4. Payment for this service will be requested prior to the numbering process. After payment has been received, any alterations to the numbering as a result of revised development plans will be charged at the same rate as a new development for each plot affected.
9.1. Applications for new developments with streets should be submitted as outlined above, however property developers may suggest names for new streets. Suggestions received will be checked against the Council’s criteria and appropriate suffixes (e.g. Road or Lane etc.) will be allocated by Wealden District Council.
9.2. Out of courtesy, these suggestions will then be forwarded to the relevant Town or Parish Council for consultation. Town and Parish Councils may suggest alternative name(s) which Wealden District Council will forward to the developer for consideration on the premise that reasons for rejecting the initial suggestions are provided. In cases where both parties cannot agree on a street name, the decision will be made under delegated SNN authority given by the Head of Business Services at Wealden District Council.
9.3. The Council’s ‘Street Nameplate Specification & Installation Guidelines’ will be forwarded to the developer who will be responsible for the cost and erection of street nameplates. Maintenance of street nameplates becomes the Council’s responsibility once a street has been adopted.
10.1. In circumstances where existing properties have not been formally registered through the Council’s Street Naming and Numbering process, and therefore do not have official addresses as recognised by Royal Mail, applications will be dealt with in the same way as new developments.
10.2. Applicants may be required to submit location plans and provide planning permission details. The same criteria and fees for registering new developments will apply.
11.1. As the Council is responsible for ensuring properties are addressed correctly on the LLPG, should the Council either become aware or receive a notification that a property is addressed incorrectly, the LLPG team will investigate accordingly.
11.2. In circumstances where changes to an address need to be made, the Council will contact the property owner advising them of the issue and changes required.
12.1. Under The Public Health Act 1925 it is possible to rename existing streets, however this process is lengthy and therefore the Council will only rename streets in certain circumstances, such as where the existing street name is proven to cause problems for the Emergency Services.
12.2. Where a request to rename an existing named street is submitted by a resident, it must be accompanied by the backing and signed written support of 100% of property owners in the street.
12.3. In exceptional circumstances, the Council may propose the renaming of an existing street. In these instances, the Council will consult property owners and only rename an existing street should majority of property owners be in agreement with the proposed changes.
13.1. Applications to register an address or new development and change the name of a property should be made in writing or online using the MyWealden portal:
- Apply to change the name of your property at: www.wealden.gov.uk/propertynamechange
- Register an address or new development at: www.wealden.gov.uk/registeraddress
13.2. Whilst applicants may sign up to MyWealden, it is possible to submit an application without an account.
13.3. Questions and requests for advice with regards to an application should be emailed to nlpg@wealden.gov.uk
14.1. The Council reserves the right to charge for discretionary services under the Local Government Act 2003 (Section 93).
14.2. Whilst the Council does not charge for the naming of new streets, it does charge for registering addresses for new developments, processing house name changes and renaming existing streets.
14.3. Street Naming and Numbering fees are listed in the Council’s Fees and Charges Book.
14.4. All fees are subject to an annual review.
15.1. Payment will be requested once an application has been approved. Therefore contact details are requested as part of all Street Naming and Numbering applications.
15.2. All payments should be made over the telephone by credit/debit card using the Council’s automated payment system, however in some circumstances payment can be made by bank transfer.
15.3. The Council are no longer able to accept cheque payments.
15.4. Payment is required prior to the completion of house name changes and the registration of new addresses and developments.