I’ve been reading up on the guidlines that Colchester Borough Council publish on how they manage addresses and create address for new buildings. Here’s a summary of the interesting points.

Rules for Existing Addresses

• Under Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847, Section 65 the occupiers of a house are required to show the house number, and replace it if it become unreadable. If they fail to do so a house number will be added whether they like it or not, which they’ll then be charged for, and fined £20.
• Under Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847, Section 64 anyone who puts up the wrong house number will be fined £25. Anyone who damages house numbers or street names will also be fined £25.

Rules for New Street Names

• No duplicate street names in the whole Borough, even if in different towns or villages.
• No similar street names in the same town/village. This includes street names that differ by thoroughfare type, e.g. Butterworth Drive and Butterworth Road, and phonetically similar names, e.g. Willows Avenue and Winnows Avenu.
• Simple spelling. Words of more than three syllables should be avoided. Street names can’t start with “The”, and preferably be no more than two words long. Words can’t end in “s” to avoid ambiguity between possessive or plural. All punctuation, including apostrophes, shall be avoided.
• Do not cause offense. Street names that may be considered or construed as obscene, racist, sexist, etc. are not allowed. Streets won’t be named after living people to prevent elitism. Street names that could be graffitied or shortened into something offensive should be avoided.

Rules for New House Numbering on New Streets

• New streets should be numbered with odd numbers on the left hand side and even numbers on the right. The direction of the street is from the “primary entrance” or the end of the street nearest the centre of the town/village.
• Consecutive numbering may be used in a cul-de-sacs.
• Number 13 cannot be ommitted.
• At intersections between roads the houses are assigned to streets based on which one the front door opens onto.
• Whether new build flats are assigned house numbers depends on how easy it is to get to the front doors.

Rules for New House Numbering on Old Streets

• New houses should be numbered rather than named, unless adding to an existing street which is only named.
• Letter should be used as a suffix, e.g. 15A.
• New flat buildings will be treated the same as cul-de-sacs. The block of flats will be named and the flats numbered, e.g. 1 Fiddlers House, 27 Ipswich Road.
• Houses converted to flats should have the flat numbers, e.g. Flat 1, Flat 2 etc., and not letters or names, e.g. Flat A, First Floor Flat, etc.

Generall Addressing

• Garages, sheds, greenhouses, etc. in a street will not be numbered.
• Land parcels will not be given addresses, only properties.