Street naming and numbering

As well as making sure properties can be easily identified, accurate address records help the emergency services find properties easily when they need to. 

We name and number new streets and properties as well as approving applications to rename existing properties. Royal Mail allocates postcodes to addresses.

We will notify electoral services, the Council Tax team and the emergency services of the new or changed address(es) free of charge.

When we have completed the documents for the new or changed address(es), we can give you Royal Mail’s email or postal address so you can tell them yourself, free of charge, if you prefer.

For the optional notification fee, we notify the following organisations of the new or changed address(es) :

• Royal Mail
• Western Power
• Bristol Water

Fees

If you wish to pay the optional notification fee online with a card, please use the appropriate form below. The card payment instructions are included at the end of each form which is then automatically submitted to us.

If you would prefer to receive an invoice for the optional notification fee, or you do not wish to pay the fee, you need to email us at strnames@n-somerset.gov.uk with the following information:

• any relevant planning permission reference numbers
• details about whether any units have been classed as affordable housing and which plots these relate to
• a suggested house name or, for new developments, a street name. All names will be checked for suitability. For new street names we consult with the local town or parish council. We may need to advertise the road name(s) for 21 days
• the date you need the new address by
• a contact telephone number
• confirmation that you are the property owner

If you want to pay the optional notification fee you will need to tell us and include an invoice address. 

If addresses need to be allocated to new flats, you need to include with your email:

• plans which clearly identify each flat and its floor level – if the plans on the planning application contain this information we are happy to use them
• information about whether each flat has its own letterbox or shares a letterbox – please provide this information for each flat

If your address does not have a street number and only has a property name, you can contact us to change the name.

If your address has a street number, you can add or remove a property name from it. Please be aware in this case that:

• the street number will remain as the primary address
• you must always refer to the street number when stating your address
• you can use the property name with the street number but never on its own

If you wish to informally add a property name to your address please email or write to us with

• your address
• the suggested property name alias

We will check this for potential duplicates and if acceptable add this to the council’s records.

Popular property names to avoid include such words as: 

• Barn
• Coach House
• Stables
• New House or New Bungalow
• Orchard

It will take twelve weeks to create new addresses or change house names which do not require a new street name. The allocation of new street names will take longer.

Without an official address you may experience issues obtaining recycling and waste containers.  Once you have been allocated an address, we will let you know how you can set up a Council Tax account. This will give you a reference number so that you can order the relevant waste bins and boxes.

We provide and maintain one street name plate at each end of a street, except for private streets. Street name plates are made from recycled material and we will replace damaged or faded plates as soon as possible.