New Developments
If you are planning to build or convert property which will need a new address or addresses, we recommend that you contact the Council early on in the development. Official postal addresses for all new properties need to be finalised in plenty of time before they are due to be occupied. This avoids any undue confusion later on.
New street names
For streets that ARE NOT to be adopted by the Highway Authority the Council encourages developers or owners to propose their own preferred street names for consideration. It is desirable that any street name suggested should have some connection with the local area. It is recommended that more than one suggestion for a new name should be put forward to the Council for approval just in case one fails to meet the Council’s criteria outlined in its Street Naming and Numbering Policy.
For streets that ARE to be adopted by the Highway Authority the Council encourages developers and owners to consult with the relevant Town/Parish Council before sending in the preferred choice of street name for final consideration.
Once development is underway and foundations have been laid, please complete our New Development application form and submit this together with your confirmed layout drawing to the Council, with your payment of £36.00 per property.
After receiving a request for an address for a property or properties which currently do not have an address, the Council will first check for approved planning permission or building control approval. If this has been granted then we will start the procedure to create a new address. The Council will not create an address for properties without the relevant planning permissions and until the foundations have been laid on site. The reason for this is to ensure the numbering sequence of any street is not compromised and addresses are not created in error.
Suggested street names that are received by the Council are checked against our Street Naming and Numbering criteria, then forwarded to the relevant Town/Parish Council as appropriate for consideration. The Town/Parish Council will consider the name and may approve it, or they may suggest another name. If another name is suggested by the Town/Parish Council then the Council will forward this suggestion to the developer for consideration. Once both parties are in agreement the Council will officially allocate the street name. In cases where both parties cannot agree on a street name, the decision will be made under delegated Authority by the Head of Corporate Services.
The Council then consults the Royal Mail and various other statutory bodies on new street or road names. Layout plans clearly identifying each plot and plot number are drawn up and a proposed street numbering scheme is drafted. Once the numbering scheme has been finally approved by the developer the Council distributes the official postal addresses to many statutory bodies, including Fire and Ambulance Services, Royal Mail, Land Registry and internally to departments such as Council Tax and Elections.
If you have a new development that needs official postal addresses it is worth looking through our Street Naming and Numbering Policy. Click here to view the full Street Naming and Numbering Policy
Please contact the Street Naming and Numbering Section on 01803 861234 for further advise or information or email House.Naming@southhams.gov.uk
Nameplates
All costs for the erection of street nameplates must be borne by the property developer. There are Street Nameplate Specifications and Installation Guidelines available and the Council will inform the developer of this. Maintenance of street nameplates becomes the Council’s responsibility once a street has been formally adopted. It is not lawful to erect a street nameplate until the street name has been confirmed in writing by the Local Authority.
Numbering buildings
A new street will be numbered with odd numbers on the left and even numbers on the right from the entrance of the street. All numbers should be used in the proper sequence (including 13). However, should a request be made by the developers, the exclusion of number 13 may be allowed. Once a final numbering scheme has been approved we will not normally re-number properties. We will only re-number a property where there can be shown to be consistent delivery problems.
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.
Names or numbers?
Not all roads or streets contain properties with numbers. Some were built before, or without, there being a formal numbering scheme in place. Where new houses are built in an existing road in which properties are named rather than numbered, it is essential that the houses be officially allocated names. To avoid confusion, the name should not repeat the name of the road or that of any house or building in the area. It should also be sufficiently different to other property names used locally.
New properties in streets where the existing properties are numbered will be allocated a new number. 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 if necessary. Where building takes place on the site of a demolished property, the new building will inherit the existing number.
If your house has a number but you wish also to give it a name, you are free to do so but we advise that you also use the number so that your house can be located. Please see further information under the menu item 'Naming Your House'.
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).
If you need more information please click on the links to the pages shown in the panel alongside or contact our Street Naming Section as detailed below:
Street Naming and Numbering Section
South Hams District Council
Follaton House
Plymouth Road
TOTNES
Devon
TQ9 5NE
Telephone: (01803) 861234
Email: House.Naming@southhams.gov.uk
