Street naming and numbering

We are responsible for street naming and numbering within County Durham.

We are responsible for:

assigning official street names to new and existing streets
assigning official property numbers to all new and existing properties
changes to and allocation of property names
renaming of streets and renumbering of properties
the replacement and maintenance of street nameplates
ensuring that the Royal Mail are notified of new or amended property addresses to enable them to assign post codes
ensuring that the emergency and essential services are notified of all new properties and streets

The property owner is responsible for:

clearly displaying their property number
using the correct official address including the property number (if allocated)

Apply for a new street name plate or report damage to one

Policy

Street Naming and Numbering Policy and Procedures 2020 - 2021 (PDF, 357.6kb)

Charges

Scale of charges for street naming and numbering

Item	Charge
Property name additions and changes	£56 per property
Addressing / numbering of new properties (on an existing road)	£61 for first plot plus £5 per plot thereafter
Naming of a new street (additional charge to the above numbering, where a new street name is required)	£168
Sub-division of properties (based upon number of properties created including original)	£56 admin fee plus £5 per 'flat'
Renaming of a street where requested by residents	£506
Temporary housing signs (yellow and black signs) per development	£173
Confirmation of address to solicitors, conveyancers, occupiers or owners	£28
Development re-number due to change in plot numbers, or plot positions	£112 admin fee plus £10 per property
Address issued / confirmed when replacement property built (as the original address will have been removed following the demolition as address may be different to original property) reactivation of address.	£56 per property
Challenges / requests / revisions to existing street naming and numbering schemes	£31 per hour

These charges are not subject to VAT

On large developments naming and numbering will only be implemented on those phases of a detailed or reserved matters planning approval that have commenced. Further phases will be charged separately.

Payment

Payment can be made in two ways, by cheque or card payments. Cheques should be made payable to 'Durham County Council' and sent together with the application form.

New addresses for developments

If you are building a new property or properties, or replacing or redeveloping an existing property into multiple dwellings, you should contact us as soon as possible to arrange for the allocation of addresses.

If you are developing a new street or estate, you should contact us to arrange the numbering of properties and naming of streets as soon as you are ready to begin working on the site as the naming of streets can be a lengthy process.

For a new property we will assign a new number. However, where this is not possible, for example on a road where all the properties already have names and not numbers, we will issue a new property with a name.

Icon for pdf Address for new property, building conversion or change of address 2020 - 2021 (PDF, 111.4kb) (PDF, 111.4kb)

Adding a name to your numbered property

If you have a numbered property, you may add a property name to the dwelling. However, the house name can only be used in conjunction with the number and not replace it. When choosing a property name, the name should not be the same as, or similar to, another house name in the area. Property owners wishing to add a property name to an existing numbered address will need to complete an application and pay a set fee.

Icon for pdf Application to add a property name to an existing numbered address 2020 - 2021 (PDF, 91.1kb) (PDF, 91.1kb)

Changing your property name

We also authorise property name changes. If your property has a name and not a house number and you wish to change the name, you have to obtain approval from us. This is to ensure there is no duplication of house names in the same settlement or locality, which could lead to problems for the emergency services and Royal Mail when locating the property.

Icon for pdf Application to change property name 2020 - 2021 (PDF, 90.3kb) (PDF, 90.3kb)