Address Management
Street Naming and Numbering is a statutory function. The relevant powers for local authorities are contained in Sections 64 and 65 of the Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847, and Sections 17, 18 and 19 of the Public Health Act of 1925. This legislation requires the Local Authority to prepare street naming and numbering schemes and to maintain a good standard of street nameplates. Both are essential for the efficient functioning of postal and emergency services as well as for the convenience and safety of the general public.
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New Estates
Most developers are familiar with the Council’s street naming and numbering procedure and will usually apply at an early stage for a numbering and naming scheme. We will ask the developer for suggestions for street names and providing they are not similar to anything already existing in the area approval will be given.
Sometimes it is not until a developer applies to a public utility company for a service to be connected that it becomes apparent that a postal address has not be agreed. As the utility companies will not connect their service until the Council has allocated an address, the developer will soon seek to rectify this!
Following agreement with the developer to the proposed street naming and numbering, Royal Mail is asked to allocate postcodes. Royal Mail will not issue a postcode until informed by the local authority that an address has been allocated. The address is not complete without the correct postcode. (See Postcodes)
When the street name has been agreed a layout plan and a street numbering and naming schedule is prepared which allocates a number and street name to the developer’s plot number. Purchasers of new properties should be careful when passing on their new address details that they are using the postal number and not the plot number, as the two are not necessarily the same.
Individual Properties
Individual properties are generally built on infill land, large gardens, or on the site of previously demolished properties. These will be numbered within the existing sequence if possible and letter suffixes (e.g. 16A) will be used if necessary. Where building takes place on the site of a demolished property, the new building will inherit the existing number.
Bournemouth Council is not responsible for issuing new postcodes. This is the responsibility of Royal Mail. However it will not issue a postcode for a new street or property until requested to do so by the Council.
Postcodes for commercial premises are allocated in the same way as residential premises, but a large company or business can apply to Royal Mail for its own code – known as a large user code. Application for a large user code is the responsibility of the user, as they will know what volume of mail they generate.
Inquiries about postcodes can be dealt with direct at:
- Royal Mail Address Management Service Centre, Castle Forgate, SHREWSBURY, SY1 1AA
- Postline: 5258 2436,
- Phone: 08456 045060,
- Fax: 08456 054433
- Email: addressdevelopment@royalmail.com
Searches for postcodes can also be carried out on the Royal Mail Website: www.royalmail.com/portal/rm
The Council has no power to agree or refuse a building name. We do however request that any name chosen is not similar to any other in the immediate locality and advice will be given on this.
We have no objection to a house name being added to an existing postal address but it cannot replace the street number, which must always used.
House names alone are not favoured by the Council or the emergency services as a number readily identifies the location of a property in a road. The only exception to this will be on the rare occasions, particularly in rural areas, where a street numbering sequence does not exist. When this does occur, we will accept the use of a building name to identify the property, e.g. Muccleshell Farmhouse, Bury Lane.
Street numbers and building names should always be prominently displayed where they can be easily read from the public highway.
Under Section 18 of the Public Health Act 1925 the Council can alter the name and numbers of any street if there is a particular need to do so.
If all residents agree, an application can be made to the Council for a street name change. We will give careful consideration to the reasons for the request and give a decision after consultation with the emergency services, Royal Mail and the general public.
When a road is built as part of a new development it is the responsibility of the developer to arrange for the installation of a street nameplate to the appropriate specification.
Recommendations for the design and installation of street nameplates can be found on Appendix A and B of the Department of Transport Circular - Circular Roads 3/93 which can be viewed on the Department for Transport website.
We will take over responsibility for maintaining the nameplate once the street has been adopted by the Council.
For any help and advice on address management please telephone us during normal office hours on (01202) 451360 or email michael.diamond@bournemouth.gov.uk
Bournemouth Online Mapping Search Facility
Click here to access the Bournemouth online mapping address search facilty.
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