Ceredigion County Council

The address of a property is very important issue. More organisations, postal, courier and emergency services, as well as the public, need an efficient means of locating and referencing properties. Many people mistakenly believe that Street Naming & Numbering lies in the domain of the Royal Mail. In fact, it is Local Authorities who have a statutory responsibility to name and number streets and houses within their administrative area.

Local Authorities throughout the UK are also responsible for providing and maintaining the definitive address database, known as the National Land & Property Gazetteer. When new properties and streets are developed they should be included in this database as soon as possible and always before the building is completed.

Owners who wish to change the name of their house can do so by submitting the proposed change to the Street Naming & Numbering Officer in writing (Application Form). Providing there is no ambiguity with any other similarly-named property in the area, the house-name change will be approved with immediate effect and added to the gazetteer. The gazetteer will automatically update the change of house name to other internal council departments and external organisations such as the Royal Mail and emergency services.

With regard to the Ceredigion Welsh Language Scheme, the practice has informally been to encourage new properties to have a single, Welsh form of the name. Should the current name be original and historic, especially a historic welsh name, then a standard letter should be sent to the customer asking them to reconsider and keep the current name (even if the proposed new name is a Welsh name). The standard letter gives the customer 10 working days to reconsider their decision. However the final decision does lie with the customer.

The Street Naming & Numbering Officer will then confirm the official change of name in writing back to the owner, who should then inform their personal contacts (e.g. banks, friends and relatives).

It is a requirement that anyone responsible for building developments that give rise to new addressable properties should deal with the naming and numbering of new streets and homes as soon as possible after planning permission has been granted and certainly once development has started.

To begin the process, developers should send their applications to the Street Naming & Numbering Officer and include:

• A location plan clearly identifying the new scheme in relation to any existing streets or means of access (or a Planning Application number will help us to find plans already submitted)
• A detailed plan of the development clearly marked with the plot numbers of the proposed scheme
• A site map showing the extent of the new street(s) and the proposed name(s) (when submitting a new name the Street Naming & Numbering Officer will enforce new streets to have a single, Welsh form of the name), taking into account the Council's protocol. If the developer does not want to propose street names for the new development, he/she should notify the Street Naming & Numbering Officer who will invite the local Parish/Community Council and Ward Councillor to put forward suggestions
• If appropriate, an internal layout plan for any properties that are subdivided at unit or floor level – for example, blocks of flats
• Please ensure a cheque made payable to Ceredigion County Council (other payment methods are available) is attached with the application

The Street Naming & Numbering Officer will consult the Land and Property Gazetteer to check for any possible conflict or duplication of the suggested street name(s) within the local area of the proposed development. If a conflict exists, the developer will be asked to submit alternative proposals. When no conflict exists, the Street Naming & Numbering Officer will begin the consultation process.

Following the naming of the new street(s), the Street Naming & Numbering Officer will allocate house numbers to the site. A schedule of new addresses will then be sent to the developer, who should make the information available to his agents (e.g. estate agents involved in the sale of the properties) and thereby any potential purchasers.

If you need assistance in naming your property or new street you can visit the list of historic place names register for suggestions. The List of Historic Place Names of Wales is a ground breaking and innovative resource that contains hundreds of thousands of place names collected from historical maps and other sources. It provides a fascinating insight into the land-use, archaeology and history of Wales.

The List of Historic Place Names of Wales website

You can either pay via cheque made payable to Ceredigion County Council, pay over the phone or online.

Call: 01545 570881

When paying over the phone, please use the reference SNN Fees.

Pay online - Online Payments

Follow the above link. Select other from the drop down list, then choose Street Naming and Numbering and follow the form.

Street Naming & Numbering Officer
Ceredigion County Council, Penmorfa, Aberaeron, SA46 0PA
Telephone: 01545 572115
Email: addresscentre@ceredigion.gov.uk

FindMyAddress enables anyone to search for and view their official address, UPRN and location.

Working on behalf of local authorities, GeoPlace has created FindMyAddress to provide a central point for queries on open Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs). It’s a partnership with OS and the Local Government Association (LGA).

FindMyAddress website

FindMyStreet shows every street in England and Wales that’s held in the National Street Gazetteer.

It will tell you where a street is, what its official name is, and the maintenance responsibility of that street. The data is created and maintained by local authorities, collected, and managed centrally by GeoPlace.

FindMyStreet website