Street naming and numbering

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council are responsible for allocating house numbers and road names to new developments, as well as allocating property numbers for conversions and approving amendments to existing addresses on residential and commercial properties. Individuals and developers must not allocate their own house numbers, building or street names.

We also maintain the definitive record of all street names and property addresses, known as the Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG).

Why is street naming and numbering important?

The address of a property is important as many organisations, postal services, emergency services and the public need an efficient means of locating and referencing properties.

If a property is not ‘registered’ through the street naming and numbering process it will not appear on the main address database and the owner/occupier will encounter difficulties in obtaining mail, goods, and services from a variety of sources.

The main address database (LLPG) is used by the council, Royal Mail, all statutory undertakers, emergency services, credit agencies, government departments and many private companies.

Creating an address

We must create new addresses and road names to comply with BS7666 national standard. Wherever possible, new addresses will always be given a number in the existing street sequence so emergency services can easily find the property.

New address

When we create new property numbers and road names, we will issue official documents to confirm the new addresses but because we are not responsible for the allocation of postcodes, these documents will not contain postcodes.

New developments

The new developments that are named and numbered by the Street Naming and Numbering team range from large developments consisting of many roads and hundreds of properties to smaller developments of just a few. Developers often have suggestions for street names which they would like to be considered and these are welcomed. The Street Naming and Numbering team will initially check to ensure that the same or similar sounding names do not already exist within the same postal area.

From start to finish, the process can take approximately five weeks so the earlier we receive your request, the sooner the new address can be assigned.

Ward and Parish Councillors are contacted with the proposed name and their comments are taken into consideration. On the very rare occasion that agreement on a road name cannot be reached, the matter is passed to the relevant Portfolio Holder to make a final decision.

House numbers are allocated once the road name has been agreed. This usually follows the route that Royal Mail will use for postal deliveries. Houses are numbered to the road that the front door has access to. When allocating numbers, the council also must consider the ease of access to ensure the property can be located quickly and simply, especially by the emergency services.

If you are a developer, have received approval for your development and/or are about to start work on the development building new houses, commercial or industrial premises or undertaking conversions such premises which will result in the creation of new properties or premises then you should contact the Street Naming and Numbering team straight away to commence the process by e-mail to GMSTeam@basingstoke.gov.uk or by writing to:

Street Naming and Numbering
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Civic Offices
London Road
Basingstoke
RG21 4AH

Please quote the planning approval number, street name suggestions for consideration and enclose the latest version of the development plan.

For further information please read Addressing Guidance Notes

Informing other organisations

Confirmation of the approved addresses, together with layout plans are returned to the developers and copies sent to:

• Royal Mail
• Emergency services
• Utility companies
• HM Land Registry
• Other relevant council departments

Single new dwellings and property conversions

If you are building a new dwelling or converting a property into flats, you will also need to contact the Street Naming and Numbering team in writing or email to register the properties.

A plan showing the location of the property and its access point(s) is useful, alternatively you can supply the planning application number. For addresses that do not require a new street name, consultation is not required and can be approved within a matter of days. Apply for the addresses by email GMSTeam@basingstoke.gov.uk or in writing:

Street Naming and Numbering
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Civic Offices
London Road
Basingstoke
RG21 4AH

When we allocate your new address, you are legally required to mark your property with the allocated number and/or name in such a way as to make the mark legible from the street. If you do not do so, organisations will find it difficult to find your property and this may result in delivery problems.

Once the address has been confirmed we will notify the official address and the location of the new properties to:

• Royal Mail
• Emergency services
• HM Land Registry
• Other relevant council departments.

Postcodes

Allocation of Postcodes are the responsibility of Royal Mail. They are a sorting and routing instruction for Royal Mail to deliver items of mail quickly and accurately. Royal Mail will only allocate a postcode once they have been notified by the council of a new postal address.

After Royal Mail allocate a postcode, they add the new postal address into the Not Yet Built file (NYB). Only when a new property is built, occupied and can receive mail will Royal Mail update the address from the NYB file to the Postcode Address File (PAF). To ensure that the LLPG and PAF databases are updated, you should inform us when the properties are at this stage of development by emailing GMSTeam@basingstoke.gov.uk.

New built properties

If you are moving into a new property that has been allocated an address, but which does not appear on our search for address facility on our website, please contact us by emailing GMSTeam@basingstoke.gov.uk and we will endeavour to update the information as soon as we can.

Please supply your name, address, email address, phone number, development name and builder or landlord details.

If you require your Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN)

You can access these details through FindMyAddress.

Please note: - New properties on this system might not have correct postcode.

If you have any queries on the postcode for new properties please email the details to GMSTeam@basingstoke.gov.uk.

Street name plates

The initial erection of nameplates on a new development is the responsibility of the developer. If you have moved into a new property and there are no street nameplates you should contact the developer to enquire when they will be put up.

Basingstoke Street Nameplate (SNP) specification

Street name plates should generally comply with The Department of Transport, Circular Roads 3/93. Wherever possible, the name plates should be erected at the back edge of a footway (where one exists) and the grass verge should be kept clear.

Subsequent repair and replacement is carried out by the borough council through its contractor.

To report a missing or damaged street name plate, please contact us by emailing customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk or phoning 01256 844844.

Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey collates data from Royal Mail, on-the-ground investigations and surveys and it can take up to six months before a new development appears on their maps. Only permanent features are surveyed and displayed. To purchase an Ordnance Survey map for location purposes or query the information on their maps, please ring 08456 050504 or visit the Ordnance Survey website.