Street naming and numbering

If you're a homeowner or property developer you can apply for house numbers, house names and street names.

How to apply

button | Street naming and numbering application form
text | Street naming and numbering

Costs

Street naming and numbering fees 2023 to 2024
Street naming and numbering service Fee
Naming streets (for the first street) £113
Naming streets (for each additional street after the first) £34
Numbering properties (per plot, for the first ten plots) £34
Numbering properties (per plot, from the eleventh plot onwards) £23
Numbering block of flats (per block) £113
Renumbering properties due to change in layout (per plot, for the first ten plots) £23
Renumbering properties due to change in layout (per plot, from the eleventh plot onwards) £18
Renumbering of street at resident request (per property) £57
Naming or renaming properties (per property) £81

How to pay

  • online application
  • telephone
  • cheque (make your cheque payable to West Lindsey District Council and send to Street Naming and Numbering)
  • pay by invoice (you can request an invoice from us, however this process will take about two weeks)

Contact

Street Naming and Numbering,
West Lindsey District Council,
Guildhall,
Marshall’s Yard,
Gainsborough,
Lincolnshire,
DN21 2NA

llpg@west-lindsey.gov.uk

Street Naming, Street Numbering, or House Naming

If you're a developer of a property or an developing an estate

Whether you're converting a small property into flats or building a new residential development, you'll need to apply for new street names and/or postal numbers.

If you're a resident and own your house

If your house has a number you can apply to give it a name. Though officially named, your house will still appear as a number on address searches.

Why you need an official house name or number

When you apply, we'll first contact the Post Office and the emergency services about your application.

This is to make sure:

  • emergency services can find your property
  • you meet legal requirements
  • you're given an official post code by Royal Mail so you or your residents can receive post
  • utility services like electricity or broadband can be connected

After that you'll be registered with:

  • Land Registry Valuation Office
  • Council Tax
  • Voter Registration
  • Credit Rating

After you've got planning permission

If you needed planning permission for your development, you'll still have to apply for house names/ numbers separately. New numbers/ names will usually be allocated when building actually starts.

Postcodes

Postcodes are allocated by Royal Mail, however, you don't need to contact them as we will do this for you.

If new properties have been allocated addresses from us, and these are held as provisional addresses, prior to occupation you will now be able to request the address to be activated by following the Royal Mail new online contact form. Alternatively please contact us and we can do this on your behalf.

This only applies for new builds where the address has already been agreed and released as a draft address. You should not approach the Royal Mail to request a new address without first contacting West Lindsey District Council.

Street names

If you create a new street for your development, you'll need to apply for a new street name.

You can chose from the following:

  • Road or Street — for any thoroughfare
  • Way — for major roads
  • Avenue, Drive, Grove or Lane — for residential roads
  • Gardens or Place — subject to there being no confusion with any local open space
  • Crescent — for a crescent shaped road
  • Close or End — for a cul-de-sac only
  • Square — for a square
  • Hill — for a hillside road only
  • Circus — for a large roundabout
  • Mews — provided it does not repeat the name of the road from which access is gained
  • Vale, Rise, Row, Mead or Wharf — for residential roads (only in exceptional circumstances)

Considerations

Any street name that has a royal family name or the word Royal can be applied for, but permissions must be obtained from the King or relevant royal family member via the Lord Chamberlain’s Office.

Any street should show some connection with the locality in which the street is located (for example the history, heritage or environment of the locality).

Any street could be named after a deceased individual who had prominent associations with the district or part of the district.

Offensive names won't be considered.

Unacceptable suffixes for new streets:

  • cross, side, walk, park, meadow, gate or common.
  • no street name can start with "The".

The full guidance procedure can be found in our Street Naming and Numbering procedure [PDF / 276 KB]

Street Name Plates

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 name plate to the appropriate specification. Once roads are adopted, the maintenance and replacement of name plates becomes the duty of the council. We are also responsible for the repair and maintenance of existing street name plates within the district.

Building names

  • House, court, lodge, apartments or mansions (residential only)
  • Point (high block residential)
  • Tower or heights (high blocks offices or residential)

Naming consultations

Before you can get your development's street name is authorised, your application will need to go through a consultation process.

What you must do:

You must get the agreement of your proposed street names with the local Town or Parish Council prior to applying. You must provide their confirmation in writing.

Parish or Town Council contact details

What we will do:

  1. Consulting with Royal Mail to obtain a post code
  2. Confirming the approved details with emergency services, statutory authorities, including utility companies.
  3. Publish details on our website for six months for information purposes.

Timescales for applications

Numbering and naming houses takes up to one month.

Naming buildings and streets takes up to three months.

Some more complex applications will vary from these timescales.

Downloads

Specification for street Nameplates [pdf / 9 KB]