Naming new properties: guidance for developers

The Council is responsible for the naming of all new roads and the allocation of postal numbers on new developments. We consult with the local Members, the local Parish or Neighbourhood Council together with the Royal Mail on new road names to ensure that they do not conflict with any existing names in the area.

The timescale for dealing with street naming and numbering applications can vary depending on the consultations required, timing of Parish Council meetings and the acceptance of suggested names. A guideline of eight weeks should be considered from receipt to final confirmation. This timescale should be considered to ensure suitable marketing of the properties and that buyers have a postal address when they move in. Prospective purchasers should be advised that the name used for the marketing of the properties will not necessarily be the name used for the postal addresses.

The process is explained below:

1. The applicant requests a new property or properties to be addressed.

2. The application should include:

• Covering letter or e-mail with applicants contact details (postal address, telephone number and email address).
• Suggested names for any new streets and any new buildings to be named (e.g. if there is a block of flats) It should be noted that the Council prefer new road names to have some local significance and they should not be difficult to spell or pronounce.
• Explanation of the origin of these names (e.g. linked to the former use of the site).
• Site location plan and two copies of the site layout plan identifying properties to be addressed with the plot numbers and showing the access point of the properties with a red dot or arrow. With regard to any blocks of flats a copy of each of the floor plans should be provided showing the individual plot numbers. The layout plans should preferably be no larger than A3 but this may not be appropriate for larger sites. Ideally, electronic copies of the plans are preferable in a pdf format. Copies of plans should be black and white.
• Estimated completion date of the development or the anticipated date that the first property will be completed and occupied.
• Please indicate if the development or any part of it (e.g. blocks of flats) will be gated and remain private or will only be accessed by a key coded entry system.
• With regard to blocks of flats, please advise if they will each have their own individual letterbox, a bank of letterboxes just inside the front door of the block or will they have one communal letterbox.

3. We will register and acknowledge the application within five working days of receipt and the invoice will also then be sent to you preferably be e-mail for the charge payable. (The scale of charges is detailed in a separate download page on the website).

4. Where there is a new street and/or building to be named, we will consult with the relevant Parish / Neighborhood Council together with the local District Council Ward Members for the area concerned. (In the case of Parish / Neighborhood Councils, the frequency of meetings will dictate the turnaround time at this stage of the process).

5. The Royal Mail will then be consulted to ensure there will be no apparent confusion over similar existing road names or postal addresses and when satisfied they will supply us with postcodes for each property.

If the Parish / Neighborhood Council or Ward Members are not in agreement with the suggested name(s), they may suggest alternatives for the applicant’s consideration. If an agreement cannot be reached on the name the matter is passed to the Leader of the Council for a decision to be reached.

7. If the decision is still not to the satisfaction of the applicant, there is an appeals procedure and further guidance will be provided should this situation arise.

8. We will then send a letter to the applicant confirming the full postal addresses including the postcode allocated by the Postcode Centre of the Royal Mail. This will also include a plot to postal number schedule and a marked up copy of the site plan showing the road names and postal numbers. Please note that it is the Council's policy to use the postal number 13 unless specifically requested by the developer not to do so.

9. The following public bodies, agencies and companies are informed of all new postal addresses: Fire and Rescue Service, Ambulance Service, Police Service, Royal Mail, British Telecom, Water Authority, Electricity Company, British Gas, Local Education Office, Land Registry, Valuation Office, Various Mapping Companies, Ordnance Survey, West Sussex County Council and other District Council departments.

10.It is the developer’s responsibility to provide street nameplates for new roads etc. and we will advise on the proposed locations for these and provide a copy of the Council’s standard street nameplate specification details.

11.Developers are also advised to contact the Postcode Centre of the Royal Mail just prior to the occupation of each of the new dwellings to request them to move each new address onto their current postal address file (PAF) as they keep all new development addresses on what they call their 'not yet built' file' until each of the properties is ready for occupation.