Street numbering and naming

The address of a property is increasingly becoming a very important issue. More organisations, postal and emergency services, and the general public need an efficient means of locating and referencing properties. The council is the Street Naming and Numbering Authority for the area. It carries out these functions under the provisions of the Public Health Act 1925 sections 17 -19.

Can I name my house without contacting the council?

If a property is already numbered, a property owner can additionally name their property without contacting the council, as long as it does not conflict with an existing property name in that locality. The property name in this case will not officially form part of the property address, and the property number must still be displayed and referred to in any correspondence; for example:

'My House' (not part of official address)
1 My Road (official address)
Town
County
Postcode

You only need to seek permission from the council if there is no number allocated in the official address (i.e. if the property has been allocated a name as part of its official address).

How do I name my house?

In the case of addresses where there is no number allocated, the allocated name does form part of the official address. In these circumstances a property owner wishing to change their property name must put their request in writing - stating their name, the present full address of the property, and their new preferred house name.

We will contact Royal Mail to see if they have knowledge of a similar named property in the locality. We check our information systems and if the name is satisfactory, then the new address is registered and you will be informed that this has been done. If there is an issue with your preferred name, we will request alternatives.
The property name change information is then sent to Royal Mail, Emergency and Essential Services and other relevant council services. It is the responsibility of property owners to inform their own personal contacts, service providers etc.
This service may be chargeable.

Developing a single property/small development - How do I number properties?

If you are a developer of a new property (single or small development), you should contact us as soon as you commence work on site. A single or small development will usually be named or numbered into the existing street. If the property is within a numbered road, then often ABCs are used along with the adjoining number (for example 12A, 12B, 12C...).
If the street has named properties, then the development plot numbers will be used initially to register the property address and subsequently, when the new owner chooses a name, we will follow our standard process of property name change. The information is then sent to public utilities, emergency services, Land Registry, Ordnance Survey and relevant council services. You will also be sent a copy of the registered address from which we would ask you to inform your prospective purchasers of their new property address.

Developing a large estate - How do I name new streets and number properties?

If you are a developer of a large estate, you must provide us with three copies of the final layout plans as soon as you commence work on site. We can then process the naming of any new streets and the numbering of your new properties without delay. We will check your suggested street names for duplication in the local area, and forward them to Royal Mail and Emergency Services for consultation.
When we have an agreed name, we will then register the street name and prepare a numbering schedule. The information is then sent to public utilities, emergency services, Land Registry, Ordnance Survey and relevant council services. You will also be sent a copy of the naming and numbering schedule from which we would ask you to inform all your prospective purchasers of their new property address. Where appropriate, you will be asked to provide new street name plates to our standard design and a cost will be provided at the appropriate time.

What happens if a street needs renaming/renumbering?

On rare occasions it becomes necessary to rename or renumber 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 there is a need for other properties to be renumbered to accommodate the new properties; or,
the number of named-only properties in a street is deemed to be causing confusion for visitors, postal services, or the emergency services.

Existing residents will be contacted and their views taken into account. We will then consult the Royal Mail for their position on the issue. To change a street name we will ballot the local residents on the issue. Hopefully there will be 100% support, but we require at least a two-thirds majority to make the change. This is a very time consuming process and we are only able to progress one of these issues at any time.
All costs associated with this procedure must be met by the persons initiating the changes. There may also be charges for our services in managing the process.

Contact Details

Coventry Building Control
Unit 3 Westwood House
Westwood Way
Coventry, CV4 8HS
Telephone: 02476 785135
e-mail: buildingcontrol@coventry.gov.uk

Coventry City Council