Street naming and numbering
Information on naming and numbering of streets and how to register a new address
Street naming and numbering is a statutory service that we undertake to issue and officially register postal addresses within Eastleigh Borough. We have adopted the provisions of Sections 17 to 19 of the Public Health Act 1925.
Having the correct documents will ensure your application is of the highest standard, and therefore will help us process your application in a timely manner avoiding any unnecessary delays.
Developers are responsible for arranging the provision of street name plates on any new development. All costs for the erection of new nameplates are the responsibility of the property developer. We maintain the name plates once the street has been adopted.
You need to complete an Allocation of Official Postal Address Form which is used to register postal addresses for new builds, new developments, the addition of property names, a property name change, register an existing but previously unregistered postal address and to register the conversion of a property into flats.
Once your application has been approved we will register your address with the relevant organisations.
We require planning permission to be granted before the name of new streets or private addresses can be processed. If a property does not have an official postal address it will not be registered on any database and therefore no one will know the property exists.
Organisations such as Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Hampshire Constabulary and the Ambulance Service require the registration of all properties in the Borough to enable them to keep their databases up to date with address information in the case of an emergency call out.
If a property is not registered it is likely that the occupants will experience problems applying for utility services, mortgages and credit cards as well as ordering goods and services online because all checks require the registration of an official postal address.
When a property is officially registered the postal address is confirmed and entered onto the Royal Mail database. It is the Royal Mail database that all other organisations purchase address information from to update their own individual databases.
We will check your suggested street names for any duplication locally and send them to Royal Mail for consultation. When we have agreed street names, we will register them and prepare a naming and numbering schedule.
Once this is completed we will also send you a copy of the schedule so you can tell your customers what their property address will be. Where appropriate, we will ask you to provide new street name plates to our standard design.
The developer is responsible for providing the following for every development over ten plots:
- Site layout plan - clearly showing the proposed road names (if applicable) and numbering
- Plot to postal schedule - showing plot numbers, house numbers and road names
Relevant document examples:
If you are a developer of a single new property, a small development or a conversion.
We will normally incorporate the naming or numbering of a single property or small development into the existing street. If it is a numbered road, we will often use A, B or C with the neighbouring number, so for example, new properties would become 12A, 12B and 12C.
If the street has named properties, we will use the development plot numbers initially to register the addresses. When the new owner chooses a name, we will follow our standard procedure for renaming a property.
We will send you a copy of the registered address from which we would ask you to inform your prospective purchasers of their new property address.
If your home has a name, but no number, as part of its official address and you want to change the name, you will need to apply to us for permission.
We will contact Royal Mail to see if there are any similarly named properties near you. We will also check our information systems and if the name is satisfactory, we will register your new address.
On rare occasions, it may be necessary to rename 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 the existing properties need to be renumbered to accommodate the new properties
- The number of name-only properties in a street is seen to be causing confusion for visitors, deliveries or emergency services
In this case, we will contact residents and ask for their views. We will then consult Royal Mail. To change a street name, we have to ballot those residents affected and must have at least two-thirds in agreement to make the change.
If you decide to go ahead and ask for your street name to be changed, you will need to apply using an Allocation of Official Postal Address Form
You can report any problems with missing or damaged street name plates by contacting us