Street Naming and Property Numbering Policy

1.1. The naming of streets within the Arun District is a statutory function of Arun District Council (hereafter known as 'the Council'), and is covered by Sections 17-19 of the Public Health Act 1925. The naming and numbering of properties on these streets is the legal responsibility of the Council under section 64-65 of the Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847.

Maintaining a comprehensive and high standard for naming streets and numbering or naming properties is important as it allows:

• Emergency services to find a property quickly - delays can cost lives and money
• Post to be delivered efficiently
• Visitors to locate their destination
• Reliable delivery of goods and services
• Records of service providers to be kept in an efficient manner
• Allow all of the Council's departments to work from one official address base.

1.2. Many legal transactions associated with properties are withheld until they can be identified by street name and numbers, for instance, statutory undertakers will not normally connect their services until such time as the premises have been given a formal postal address.

1.3. Many developers forget to ask for their streets to be named until it becomes urgent causing delay to sale of properties. The Council's Technical Support Unit has been asked to consider adding a reminder within the Decision Notice issued requesting the developer contacts the Local Land Charges Service prior to development commencing.

1.4. Royal Mail will not assign a postcode until the Local Authority has notified them of the official address as the Street Naming and Numbering Authority.

2.1. It should be noted that the street naming and numbering procedure can be a lengthy one. It is therefore advisable to consult the Council at the earliest possible stage of a proposal, preferably before building work commences, and ideally before an unofficial name has been marketed or legal documentation drafted.

2.2. If an application is submitted at a late stage and is subsequently rejected, numerous problems can arise, especially if purchasers have bought properties marketed under an unapproved name.

2.3. It is therefore advisable to be cautious in the use of the names for marketing purposes if the name has not been authorised by the Council. It should be pointed out in the literature distributed to prospective purchasers, for example, that marketing names are subject to approval and thus likely to change.

For full guidance on applying for street naming and numbering, please see Appendix A.

3.1. NLPG is the de facto addressing solution for local authorities and increasingly so for its partners. Local Government has invested £70 million in creating the NLPG and is committed to using the NLPG for all of its addressing requirements and services.

3.2. The NLPG is the definitive address list that provides unique identification of properties and conforms to the British Standard, BS 7666:2006. The NLPG covers the whole of England and Wales and contains more than 30 million residential, business and non-mailing addresses and is now marketed commercially.

3.3. The NLPG is a comprehensive and continually updated database, created by those with local knowledge in each local authority, the body with legal responsibility for street naming and numbering of property. As local authorities are the originators of addressing information an address dataset, developed and maintained at source by users of the data, will inevitably have the highest level of currency and completeness.

3.4. The Council is committed to this initiative through its own Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) which, together with the other 375 local authorities in England and Wales, makes up the NLPG. Street naming and numbering is the single most important source of address change intelligence for the Council's LLPG and therefore the NLPG.

4.1. The Council is the street naming and numbering authority. All proposals for new street names/changes of name in the district must be by law sent to the Council for approval prior to being brought into use. The law is in need of review but there are currently two sets of legislation that apply to the Naming and Numbering of Streets and Buildings in the district.

• Street naming, alteration of street names and re-naming roads - Sections 17-19 Public Health Act 1925.
• House numbering and re-numbering - Sections 64-65 Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847.

4.2. Under the Council's Scheme of Delegation, the Group Head of Technical Services has the power to approve the following:

• Street naming - providing a street name to a new street or an existing street with no name;
• Property numbering - providing numbers to plots, in-fills (properties built between existing houses or in the grounds of), property conversions and commercial premises.

4.3. Under the Council's Scheme of Delegation the Group Head of Technical Services has the power to also approve the following:

• Re-naming existing streets - this is normally only considered when changes occur which give rise (or are likely to give rise) to problems for the Emergency Services.
• Re-numbering existing properties and buildings - this is normally only considered when changes occur which give rise (or are likely to give rise) to problems for the Emergency Services and the inclusion of additional development.
• Allocating house numbers to properties that only have a house name - this function is carried out largely for public safety reasons and in consultation with the emergency services.
• Any other projects put forward at the discretion of officers from the Local Land Charges Service.

Where appropriate an officer from the Local Land Charges Service will consult with the respective Ward Members. In accordance with paragraph 6.4 where representations are received the matter may be brought before the relevant Committee for its views.

The final decision will be made by an officer from the Local Land Charges Service.

For the full wording of the Sections of the relevant Acts please see Appendix B.

5.1 The Local Land Charges Service will consult, as appropriate, the Royal Mail, electoral registration, council tax, local land and property gazetteer (LLPG), and other Council or external address databases before proceeding with the allocation of street names, property numbering or amendments to addresses. The LLPG custodian is consulted to avoid duplication of street names and to ensure the correct spelling of street names from the definitive LLPG and to ensure compliance with BS7666:2006.

5.2. The Royal Mail may also be consulted on new names and where similarly spelt or similar sounding names already exist in the area they will not be accepted (Circular 3/93). It advises against the practice of using multiple street name suffixes so that names can be used more than once (e.g. Orchard Drive, Orchard Close) as this gives rise to a lot of incorrectly addressed mail.

5.3. As a matter of course the Local Land Charges Service will consult with the Town or Parish Councils, Local Councillors, Royal Mail, the Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service regarding new street names.

5.4. Notification letters will be sent to occupiers if there is a change of street name, re-numbering or a numbering allocation to properties with just house names.

In making such changes the Council is exercising statutory powers and its decision is final.

5.5. A member of the Local Land Charges Service will notify the statutory authorities of any change of street name, re-numbering or a numbering allocation to properties with just house names.

5.6. If any representations are received from the Parish or Town Council these will be considered. The final decision will be made by an officer from the Local Land Charges Service with reference to the Group Head of Technical Services if necessary.

6.1 . A person who creates a new street has the right to name that street (Section 17 of the Public Health Act 1925). Subject to the requirement to give notice to the Local Authority of the proposed name and the Local Authority has one month in which to object.

6.2. It is advised that three street names are suggested by the applicant to negate objections from the local Town or Parish Councils, Royal Mail or the Council itself. It may also be good practice to liaise with the Town and Parish Councils and/or other local historical societies before any street name(s) are suggested.

6.3. In practice some developers are happy to leave the choice of street name with the Local Authority or enter into amicable discussion. The Council allows the Town Council or Parish Council, if it so wishes, to put forward suggested names to the developer.

6.4. If the developer chooses the street names (Section 17 of the Public Health Act 1925), an officer from the Local Land Charges Service will advise the Town or Parish Council (and the other bodies as outlined in section 5) and will ask for its comments, as a matter of courtesy. There is one month for approval or objection of the suggested street name by the Local Authority.

The Town or Parish Council, the Fire Brigade and Sussex Ambulance Service will be made aware of the need to reply and if it wishes to comment on the developer's choice of street name it will be given a date by which to respond.

If the Town or Parish Councils and other consultees do not reply by the specified date, the name will be deemed to be accepted and a letter will be sent to the developer.

6.5. If the Local Authority objects to the proposed street name it must notify the developer within one month of receipt. The Local Authority will send the developer the 'notice of objection'. The developer may appeal to the Magistrate Court within 21 days after the service of the notice and if it does so the Group Head of Technical Services will represent the Council in the Magistrates Court. The Local Authority will contact the developer and request that a further list of suggested names is put forward for consideration. If this cannot be resolved the developer may appeal although in all the years we have been carrying out this function this has never happened as we have negotiated to save time. Generally the developer will accept alternative suggestions to get the roads named as soon as possible.

For full policy guidance on the choice of street names and street naming conventions please see Appendix C.

7.1. This is a very time-consuming process and renaming streets may cause costs and or disruption to individual occupiers and wherever possible should be avoided. This is usually only done as a last resort i.e. re-naming a street is normally only considered when changes occur which give rise (or are likely to give rise) to problems for the Emergency Services.

7.2. Any request from residents/owners of properties for re-naming of a street must be made to the local authority. The proposed change must have the full backing of every owner (not tenant)
affected on the street and a signed letter from each to support this.

7.3. An Order of the Council must be made for re-naming. Where a street is to be re-named, notices will be displayed on that street under Section 18 Public Health Act 1925 and will remain in place for a least 1 month before an Order changing the name will be made. A copy of the order will be sent to the Magistrate Court informing them of the proposed change. Any person aggrieved by the intended order may, within 21 days after the posting of the notice, appeal to a petty sessional court. If an appeal is made to a magistrate the Local Authority must wait until that appeal is heard.

7.4. Where re-naming a street is involved, as much warning as is practicable will be given to the residents. A notification letter will be sent to the occupiers 7 - 10 working days before the
notice is erected on site. Once the new name is finalised, occupiers will be informed a week before the new name comes into effect, (this will be at least 6 weeks from the date of the Notice)
to allow residents time to re-organise their personal correspondence etc. and also take into account the need to seek advice from a Solicitor regarding any change to their property's deeds.

7.5. A signed and sealed Street Naming and Numbering Order will be sent to the occupiers together with a list of notified interested parties.

8.1. The Council has the power to assign numbers to house and buildings 'as they think fit' and require the number to be displayed (Sections 64 & 65 Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847). There is a charge per property for numbering/naming services provided by the Council (see Appendix E for further details).

8.2. Properties located in areas where no official numbering sequence exists should be named by the property owners. Suggested names will be checked for possible duplication in the
surrounding area within the LLPG and with Royal Mail. Names will not be considered acceptable if they may be deemed to be construed as obscene, racist or contravene any aspect of the Council's Equality and Diversity Policy. Property names will not be acceptable if the local authority considers that the proposed address could cause duplication or future addressing problems.
The Council's decision is final. 

For full policy guidance on the property numbering/naming conventions please see Appendix D.

9.1. This is a very time-consuming process and renumbering/naming existing properties may cause costs and/or disruption to individual occupiers and wherever possible should be avoided. Renumbering existing properties and buildings is normally only considered when changes occur which give rise (or are likely to give rise) to problems for the Emergency Services and the inclusion of additional development. There is a charge per property for renumbering (see Appendix E for more details).

9.2. For new development within an existing street the use of suffixes of 'A', 'B' etc, or re-numbering where just a few properties are affected, is preferable to wholesale re-numbering of a large street. However, this is not always possible and the re-numbering/renaming of properties will be at the discretion of an officer from the Local Land Charges Service.

9.3. Sections 64 and 65 of the Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847 allow a Local Authority to require buildings to be marked with numbers 'as they think fit'. There is no right of appeal or requirement for formal consultation, however, if there is a re-numbering of properties the Council will send notification letters to occupiers. The notification to occupiers should give a specific date on which the re-numbering comes into effect. The time for compliance in terms of the legislation is one week, however the Council will normally allow eight weeks for the new number to be displayed.

9.4. We cannot formally change a property name/number where the property is in the process of being purchased, that is until the exchange of contracts, although we can give guidance on the acceptability of a chosen name before this.

9.5. Allocation of houses numbers to properties with names only:

• Numbering is carried out on receipt of such a representation for public safety reasons and has full support of the emergency services.
• A notification letter will be sent to occupiers notifying them that house numbers will be assigned. The final decision will be made by an officer from the Local Land Charges Service.
• After the numbering has been finalised, occupiers will be sent a Formal Notice and Certificate 'Numbers of houses and buildings' together with a list of notified interested parties informed of the numbering sequence. The time for compliance in terms of the legislation is one week, however the Council will normally allow eight weeks for the number to be displayed. A house name may continue to be used in conjunction with the designated house number.

9.6. Adding a house name or changing an existing house name to properties with no house number:

As a matter of public safety, courtesy and to help maintain the Local Land and Property Gazetteer, the Group Head of Technical Services will notify the statutory authorities and internal Council departments of the new house name. It is the responsibility of the owner to contact and notify all other contacts of the new name.

There is a charge per property for changing a house name. (see Appendix E for more details).

9.7. Adding house names or changing an existing house name to properties with an existing house number:

A name may be added to a numbered property, however this must be approved by the local authority before it can be added to the property address.

If Royal Mail identify properties in the area with the same or similar name which could lead to confusion with deliveries, the proposed name will not be permitted. You will be advised to choose an alternative.

For public safety reasons the property number will have to continue to be used in conjunction with the house name, the number must always be included and displayed: the name cannot be regarded as an alternative. This is enforceable under section 65 of the Town Improvement Clauses Act 1847.

 If the Council receives notification of a new house name, as a matter of public safety, courtesy and to help maintain the Local Land and Property Gazetteer, an officer from the Local Land Charges Service will notify the statutory authorities and internal Council departments that a name has been added to the official address. It is the responsibility of the owner to contact and notify all other contacts that the house name has been added as part of their address.

There is a charge per property for adding a house name to a numbered property (see Appendix E for more details)

9.8. Removal of an existing house number and replaced by a name:

The Council will not accept the substitution of a current property number with a property name. A name may be used in conjunction with a number (see section 9.7 above) but the number must always be included and be displayed (enforceable under section 65 of the Town Improvement Clauses Act 1847).

10.1. The developer will cover the initial costs of the street nameplates. The Council will cover maintenance costs once the street has been officially adopted.

10.2. For street nameplate advice and specification please contact the Council's Local Land Charges Service.

11.1. There are no statutory requirements for Local Authorities to provide details of changes to existing or new developments to any external organisations.

However it is recognised that the provision and sharing of this information facilitates better service delivery to the citizen and business communities.

11.2. The Council will therefore notify the statutory authorities and internal Council departments, via email, of any numbering, naming; re-numbering or re-naming.

11.3. Other bodies may be notified in the future via the Geoplace Hub; details of these can be found in Appendix F.

12.1. An important element of addressing is the Post Code. This identifies a number of postal delivery points and along with the Postal Town as defined by the Royal Mail. The Council is not responsible for allocating these codes; they are a Royal Mail product. The Council works closely with the Royal Mail to ensure that proposed addresses are acceptable postally and consults the Royal Mail on proposed schemes. Post Codes will generally be allocated before a scheme is approved.

12.2. As a matter of policy, the Royal Mail does not publish on its website addresses that are not completed and/or unoccupied. This means that in certain cases addresses that have been agreed with the Council may not, for a while, be visible to anyone using the website to validate an address for purposes such as providing goods or services related to that address or its owner. The Royal Mail should be contacted if problems of this nature are being experienced.

12.3. As stated in the introduction, Royal Mail will not accept a new address or change of address intelligence from anybody other than the Council's Street Naming and Numbering department. Please do not assume a development will have the same Post Code as the surrounding or existing properties. The Royal Mail should instruct occupiers to contact the Council for approval of any amendments to their current address.

12.4. A property's postal address Town may differ from its official address Town as the Royal Mail base their addresses on the closest Postal Town instead of the actual geographical town of the property, e.g. New Barn Lane, Bognar Regis rather than New Barn Lane, Bersted.

12.5. Any complaints relating to the delivery of Royal Mail deliveries should be directed to Royal Mail. The Council is not responsible for the non-delivery of mail or goods from Royal Mail.

13.1. The Council's decision is final for the naming of properties, streets, renaming of streets, numbering or re-numbering of properties and is at the discretion of the Group Head of Technical Services.

14.1. The Council is not liable for any claims for compensation arising directly or indirectly from the naming of streets, re-naming of streets, numbering or renumbering of properties.

14.2. The property developer should not give any postal addresses, including the postcode, to potential occupiers, either directly or indirectly (for example via solicitors or estate agents) before formal approval has been issued by the Council. The Council will not be liable for any costs or damages caused by failure to comply with this.

15.1. All references to the Council or Local Authority relate to Arun District Council.

16.1. The postcode. This is issued by the Royal Mail and, unless a postcode allocated to a new property/properties is already in use, will be held in 'reserve' until the Royal Mail is notified by either the developer, the home owner or the Local Authority that the property or plot is occupied.

16.2. Any complaints regarding correspondence and deliveries not being delivered to the correct address should be directed at the relevant delivery company's customer service department.

16.3. Address being unavailable on databases used by third parties, such as retail outlets (including Internet based ones); Satellite Navigation Systems Street Maps, etc.

16.4. Ordnance Survey maps or plans not featuring any new properties or streets.

16.5. Notifying anyone other than the services listed in appendix F.

16.6. Quality of service received from goods or services deemed to be as a result of an address.

17.1. Modern Street Naming and Numbering policy which is clear and easily understandable by our staff, developers and members of the public.

17.2. Appropriate involvement of all interested groups, including our Town and Parish partners.

17.3. Address and street number systems which comply with the needs of the emergency services and occupants.

17.4. Addresses entered and maintained in our systems in British Standard 7666:2006 format

17.5. Recoverable costs for house re-naming and where developers seek to number and/or name after their initial proposals have been dealt with.

• House naming - Amending a name or adding a name to a property.
• In-fill - Property built between two existing properties or in the grounds of an existing property.
• LLPG - Local Land and Property Gazetteer.
• NLPG - The National Land and Property Gazetteer.
• Numbering - Allocating numbers and suffixes to properties e.g. houses, bungalows, flats, maisonettes, caravans (static}, industrial units, retail outlets, etc.
• Plot - A new property that is being built.
• Re-naming - Changing the name of an existing street.
• Re-numbering - Changing the house number or suffix for another.
• Street naming - Allocating a name to a new street.
• Suffix - Letter following a number e.g. 24A, 24B, (in-fill).

• British Standard 857666-0:2006 "Spatial datasets for geographical referencing -
• Part 0: General model for gazetteers and special referencing:' 3rd Edition, July 2006 
• British Standard 857666-1:2006 "Spatial datasets for geographical referencing —
• Part 1: Specification for a street gazetteer." 3rd Edition, July 2006
• British Standard 857666-2:2006 "Spatial datasets for geographical referencing —
• Part 2: Specification for a land and property gazetteer." 3rd Edition, July 2006.
• LLPG and SN N Data Entry Conventions and Best Practice for the NLPG. 2nd Edition, Improvement and Development Agency, November 2006.
• Public Health Act 1925, s. 17-19 The Department of Transport Circular Roads 3/93. "Street Nameplates and The Numbering of Premises" 15th December 1993.
• Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847, s. 64-65.

Who should apply?

• Individuals or developers building new houses, commercial or industrial premises, or:
• Individuals or developers undertaking conversions of existing residential, commercial or industrial premises which will result in the creation of new properties or premises.
• Property owners wishing to amend their existing house name or add a house name to an existing numbered property.

When should I apply?

• Applications for new streets and addresses should be submitted as soon as possible after permission for the proposal has been granted. This is important as:
• A proposed new street must be approved by the Council before any addresses can be allocated to it, and;
• Most utility companies are reluctant to install services where an official postal address has not been allocated.

How do I apply?

• Online application form - Via Arun District Council website www.arun.gov.uk
• If you are unable to carry out the process online please E-mail: NLPG@arun.gov.uk or telephone the team on 01903 737502 for guidance.

The application should be accompanied by:

• A plan showing the street layout with existing street name or suggested street names. The plan should be at a scale of 1:2500, 1:1250 or 1:500 and should include a north arrow.
• A detailed plan of the development clearly marked with the plot numbers of the proposed scheme. This plan must indicate the main entry point for each property in context with the adjacent street.
• An internal layout, if appropriate, for developments that are sub divided at unit or floor level, e.g. a block of flats. The main entrance to the flats shall be clearly marked in relation to the adjacent street.

Section 17: Public Health Act 1925 - Notice to Local Authority before street is named:

1. Before any street is given a name, notice of the proposed name shall be sent to the urban authority by the person proposing to name the street.
2. The urban authority, within one month after the receipt of such notice, may, by notice in writing served on the person by who notice of the proposed name of the street was sent, object to the proposed name.
3. It shall not be lawful to be set up in any street an inscription of the name thereof
   1. (a) until the expiration of one month after notice of the proposed name has been sent to the urban authority under this section; and 
   2. (b) where the urban authority have objected to the proposed name, unless and until such objection has been withdrawn by the urban authority or overruled on appeal; and any person acting in contravention of this provision shall be liable to a penalty at level 1 on the standard scale and to a daily penalty.
4. Where the urban authority serve a notice of objection under this section, the person proposing to name the street may, within twentyone days after the service of the notice, appeal against the objection to a petty sessional court.

Section 18: Public Health Act 1925 - Alteration of name of street:

1. The urban authority by order may alter the name of any street, or part of a street, or may assign a name to any street, or part of a street, to which a name has not been given.
2. Not less than one month before making an order under this section, the urban authority shall cause notice of the intended order to be posted at each end of the street, or part of the street, or in some conspicuous position in the street or part affected.
3. Every such notice shall contain a statement that the intended order may be made by the urban authority on or at any time after the day named in the notice, and that an appeal will lie under this Act to a petty sessional court against the intended order at the instance of any person aggrieved.
4. Any person aggrieved by the intended order of the local authority may, within twenty-one days after the posting of the notice, appeal to a petty sessional court

Section 19: Public Health Act 1925 - Indication of name of street:

1. The urban authority shall cause the name of every street to be painted, or otherwise marked, in a conspicuous position on any house, building or erection in or near the street, and shall from time to time alter or renew such inscription of the name of any street, if and when the name of the street is altered or the inscription become illegible.
2. If any person ... , pulls down ... any inscription of the name of a street which has lawfully been set up, or sets up in any street any name different from the name lawfully given to the street, or places or affixes any notice or advertisement within twelve inches of any name of street marked on a house, building, or erection in pursuance of this section, he shall be liable to a penalty level 1 on the standard scale and to a daily penalty.

Section 64: Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847

Houses to be numbered:

"The commissioners shall from time to time cause the houses and buildings in all or any of the streets to be marked with numbers as they think fit, and shall cause to be put up or painted on a conspicuous part of some house, building, or  place, at or near each end, corner, or entrance of every such street, the name by which such street is to be known; and every person who destroys, pulls down, or defaces any such number or name, or puts up any number or name different from the number or name put up by the commissioners, shall be liable to a penalty level 1 on the standard scale for every such offence". 

Section 65: Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847

Numbers of houses to be renewed by occupiers:

"The occupiers of houses and other buildings in the  streets shall mark their houses with such numbers as the commissioners approve of, and shall renew such numbers as often as they become obliterated or defaced; and every such  occupier who fails, within one week after notice for that purpose from the commissioners, to mark his house with a number approved of by the commissioners, or to renew such number when obliterated, shall be liable to a penalty level 1 on the standard scale and the commissioners shall cause such numbers to be marked or to be renewed, as the case may require, and the expense thereof shall be repaid to them by such occupier, and shall be recoverable as damages."

1. Choice of street names - Guidelines

• I. Where an area, field or previous building has names or other things, such as plants and activities etc., historically associated with it, it is usual to preserve these in street names. Where there is no information to suggest a street name, a new one will be chosen.
• II. If a "local" name is not suitable then there is no reason why any attractive name cannot be chosen. Where several streets are involved, a "theme" linking the names can be used to help identify the area.
• Ill. Where a new street is an extension of an existing street it is not normally necessary to give that section a new name. The street name Street Naming and Property Numbering Policy - January 2019 and numbering sequence will continue from the existing street in most circumstances.
• IV. Duplication of street names in the same area or within close proximity of another parish/ town is not permissible, unless the street is a continuation of an existing street. A variation in the terminal word, example, "street", "road",
  "avenue", will not be accepted as sufficient reason to duplicate a name. The overwhelming desire of applicants is to repeat existing names in a new street or building titles (for instance a request for St Mary's Close off an existing St
  Mary's Way, near St Mary's Church etc.). This is not allowed as it can have a detrimental effect in an emergency situation. This is in line with Government guidance found in circular 3/93.
• V. Avoid having two phonetically similar names within a postal area and, if possible, within a borough, example, Alfred Road and Alfred Close or Churchill Road and Birch Hill Road.
• VI. Avoid aesthetically unsuitable names or names capable of deliberate misinterpretation.
• VII. Street Names which could give offence are not recommended nor are names which encourage defacing name plates.
• VIII. Street names should not be difficult to pronounce or awkward to spell (BS7666:2006). However the use of foreign names (i.e. town twinning) can be used if agreed by both parties.
• IX. The Local Authority will have no informal adoption of unofficial 'marketing' titles used by developers in the sale of new properties (these often fall foul of our Policy on a number of counts and occupiers of such premises unfortunately feel aggrieved by the 'loss' of a supposedly prestigious address and its replacement with something perhaps a little more mundane. Names that may be taken as advertising (i.e. company name) will not be accepted.
• X. All new street names should ideally end with a suffix to distinguish a street from a building name or locality. The following list recommends usual practice. It is not exhaustive and sometimes other descriptive words are more appropriate:
  • Street (for any thoroughfare)
  • Road (for any thoroughfare)
  • Way (for major roads)
  • Avenue (for residential roads)
  • Drive (for residential roads)
  • Grove (for residential roads)
  • Lane (for residential roads)
  • Gardens (for residential roads) - subject to there being no confusion with any local open space
  • Place (for residential roads)
  • Crescent (for a crescent shaped road)
  • Close (for a cul-de-sac only)
  • Square (for a square only)
  • Hill (for a hillside road only)
  • Circus (for a large roundabout)
  • Vale (for residential roads)
  • Rise (for residential roads)
  • Row (for residential roads)
  • Mews (for residential roads)
• XI. Suffixes needing careful consideration as it may give a false impression of location:
  • End
  • Cross
  • Court
  • Side
  • View
  • Mead
  • Brow
  • Bow
  • Park
  • Wharf

All these words can, of course, be incorporated in a street name provided it ends with an appropriate suffix (i.e. Mile End Road).

• XI I. Exceptions:
  • 1) Single or dual names without suffixes in appropriate places (example, Broadway for major roads only).
  • 2) All new pedestrian ways should end with one of the following suffixes. It is not exhaustive and sometimes other descriptive words are more appropriate:
    • Walk
    • Path
    • Way
    • Twitten
  • 3) The use of multiple street name suffixes so that names can be used more than once (e.g. Orchard Drive, Orchard Close) or particularly long names are best avoided as these can cause problems with the emergency services, utility companies, delivery companies, automation of addresses and form filling. The Council will not normally accept similarly spelt or similar sounding names where they already exist in an area and will recommend strongly against multiple street name suffixes in an area of particularly long street names
  • 4) The use of North, East, South or West (as in Alfred Road North and Alfred Road South, or East or West) is only acceptable where the street is continuous and passes over a major junction. It is not acceptable when the street is
    in two separate parts with no vehicular access between the two. In such a case half should be renamed.
  • 5) The use of a name which relates to people living, must be avoided. Personal names which relate to developers' personal friends or relatives will not be accepted. Names of persons deceased for less than 15 years will not be accepted. Street names must not commence with the word "The" or end in "s" where it can be construed as either possessive or plural.

2. Location of a Street

The location allocated to each street determines the location or 'address' given to the property on that street. A 'town' name shall always be allocated to a street and locality only used in the following scenarios:

• (1) where there is more than one street of the same name in the same town, or 
• (2) where the inclusion of a locality will avoid ambiguity in the identification of that street, particularly in urban and metropolitan areas, or 
• (3) where a small settlement, with its own settlement name in common use, is in the same parish as a larger settlement but is distinctly separate, particularly in rural areas.

Towns:

The name 'town' is a bit misleading as the town name can be a larger village, city, borough town or recognised settlement name. It is the geographic name of the town rather than the Royal Mail 'Post Town'. A good rule of thumb is to follow the existing town names from surrounding established streets or to confirm with neighbouring residents as to where they think they live.

Locality:

A locality can be defined as "an area or geographic district within a town, village or hamlet that must be a recognised geographic name". As stated above it should only be used where appropriate to do so. In some instances it may be appropriate to record an industrial estate name as a locality if this adds better definition and avoids ambiguity within an address or location.

Guidance Note

By its nature satisfactory addressing cannot be precisely defined. The guidelines set out cannot cover all cases and the Council reserves the right to accept or reject building names suggested for other reasons.

• A new street should be numbered with even numbers on one side and odd numbers on the other except that, for a cul-de-sac, consecutive numbering in a clockwise direction is preferred. Longer cul-de-sacs have an odds and evens scheme ascending away from the town centre.
• In the interest of equality and diversity no numbers will normally be omitted from a numbering sequence unless specifically requested. However, the Council does not include No 13 in any numbering scheme unless specifically  requested to do so.
• Two buildings in one street may not have the same number.
• Convention requires number one always to be on the left-hand side of a street. Through streets are numbered odds and evens in the direction they would be accessed from the centre of the town or community. Convention is to number odds on the left and evens on the right when travelling away from the Town Centre; however, numbering also depends on the layout of the development and streets. {Circular 3/93)
• Buildings will always be named or numbered into the street of which their main entrance or delivery point is accessed from.
• Buildings on corner plots are numbered into the street towards which the main entrance is accessed. If pedestrian access is not possible from that street, the building may be numbered with the street giving access. Occupier's preference will not be a relevant consideration.
• If a building has entrances in more than one street, then each entrance should be numbered in the appropriate street. Exceptions may be made, depending on the circumstances, for a house divided into flats.
• If a suitable numbering sequence cannot be ascertained, temporary house names will be assigned to plot numbers until the numbering can be determined at a later date.
• In residential buildings {e.g., blocks of flats) it is usual to give each block a street number and each dwelling a number suffix e.g. Flat 1, 24 etc.
• Existing buildings divided into separate flats or business premises will be given one street number and number suffixes of "1", "2" etc. e.g. Flat 1, 24, Flat 2, 24, etc.
• Commercial premises will be allocated numbers and the prefix Unit or Suite {for offices only).
• When flats are numbered internally they will be numbered not lettered e.g. Flat 1, 24, not Flat A, 24; nor 24A.
• All new residential building names should end with a suffix, examples are provided in the list below. It is not exhaustive and sometimes other descriptive words are more appropriate:
  • Lodge
  • Apartments
  • Mansions
  • House
  • Court
  • Point
  • Tower
  • Heights
• For private houses in existing unnumbered streets it is essential that the houses are officially allocated names, which are registered with the emergency services. Anyone wishing to change the name of their unnumbered house must also apply to the Authority.
• For private houses it is essential that the name should not repeat the name of the street or that of any other house or building in the area.
• Infill plots, i.e. properties built between existing properties or in the grounds of an existing property, will be given the same house number before the infill followed by suffix of "N, "B" etc. e.g. 24A, 24B etc. To include the new houses in the numbered street sequence would involve unacceptable renumbering of all the higher numbered houses on that side of the street.
• If additional plots are added to a proposed development at a later date, e.g. due to a revised layout, these plots will be allocated existing numbering with suffixes of "N, "B" etc. e.g. 24A, 24B etc.
• Private garages and similar buildings used for housing cars, and such like, will not be numbered.
• Annexes to buildings e.g. granny flats or ancillary accommodation, will be given the prefix 'Annexe'. The rest of the address will be the same as the parent property e.g. Annexe, 34 Claremont Road.
• Where a property has a number, it must be used and displayed. Where a name has been chosen for a property with a number, the number must always be included; the name cannot be regarded as an alternative. This is enforceable under section 65 of the Town Improvement Clauses Act 1847.

Power to charge under  section 93 of the Local Government Act 2003.

A local authority may charge for discretionary services. Discretionary services are those services that an authority has the power but not a duty to provide. An authority may charge where the person who receives the service has agreed to its provision, the charge must not exceed the cost of providing the service.

So the Council cannot charge for street naming services (since the duty to provide this service is not discretionary), but it can charge for elements of the naming and numbering function.

For Street Naming and Numbering this charge covers:

• Naming and Numbering new properties (including conversions).
• Renaming existing properties.
• Alterations in either name or numbers to new developments after initial naming and numbering has been undertaken.
• Notifications to organisations listed in Appendix F. These charges have to be paid prior to any changes being made. Changes made without contacting the Council will not be registered with services and organisations listed in Appendix F.

New Build or Redevelopment

New Build or Redevelopment

Type of Application	Charge (per application)
New individual property	£35
New development or re-development (new builds and conversions) (includes new builds following property demolition)	£220 per road + £35 each property
Amendment to previously approved address scheme	£35 per property

Existing properties and/or streets

Existing properties and/or streets

Type of Application	Charge (per application)
Change of Dwelling Name or Commercial Property Name	£85
Change of Building Name (e.g. block of flats)	£85 + £35 per flat/unit
Street Renaming (residents' request - see Policy for details)	£220 + £35 per property
Street Numbering (residents' request - where no numbering system exists)	On individual basis. Contact the Council's Local Land Charges Service
Database Corrections (e.g. incorrect spelling)	No Charge

These charges will be reviewed annually.

External

• West Sussex County Council
• West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
• Sussex Police
• SE Coast Ambulance Service
• Valuation Office
• Land Registry
• Utility companies

Internal

• Building Control Services
• Revenues and Benefits
• Electoral Registration
• Environmental Health
• Local Land Charges
• Planning Services
• Cleansing Services