Process: SN2 Application for New Postal Addresses

Stage 1: Receipt

The application is submitted with the relevant fee. If insufficient funds are submitted with the application, the Street Naming & Numbering (SNN) Officer will invoice the applicant for the outstanding amount.

Once the fee has been received or invoiced for, the application will pass to the next stage.

Stage 2: Validation

The SNN Officer will review the application to ensure that the requested street names and addresses are compliant with the SNN Policy and the Geoplace Data Entry Conventions (DEC). The SNN Officer may also consult with the Planning Department to ensure that relevant planning consent has been granted.

For applications of 5 or more properties, applicants are required to provide a digital site plan in the form of a Georeferenced CAD Drawing File. The SNN Officer will upload this file to the Council's mapping software, and will use this to create reference maps for Council Departments and Royal Mail.

If the application meets the requirements, it will pass to the next stage.

If the application does not meet the validation requirements, the SNN Officer will work with the applicant to find suitable alternative proposals. If no suitable alternatives can be found, or if the applicant does not respond within a set timeframe, the SNN Officer will reject the application.

Stage 3: Street Naming Consultation

For applications that require new street names, the SNN Officer will send a consultation email to the local Parish Council. The Parish Council will then have 3 weeks to respond with their thoughts on the proposed street names. If the Parish Council objects to a street name, they are required to provide an alternative proposal for the developer to consider. If the Parish Council support a street name, or do not comment, the developer's proposed street names will be approved.

Once all street names have been approved, the application shall pass to the next stage.

If the Parish Council and the applicant cannot agree on a street name, the matter will be referred to Torridge District Council's Communities & Resources Committee for adjudication. Once the committee has allocated street names, the application will pass to the next stage.

If an application requires no new street names, this stage is skipped.

Stage 4: Street Name Allocation

The SNN Officer will inform the Local Street Gazetteer (LSG) team at Devon County Council of any new street names. The LSG team will reply by providing a Unique Street Reference Number (USRN) for each new street. This marks the official allocation point for street names.

Once the USRNs have been provided, the application shall pass to the next stage.

If an application requires no new street names, this stage is skipped.

Stage 5: Address Consultation

The SNN Officer shall use the Council's mapping software to plot the locations of the new addresses. They will do this either by consulting the planning permission detailed in the application or by consulting a CAD Drawing File provided with the application.

Once the addresses have been plotted, the SNN Officer will consult with the Council's Local Land & Property Gazetteer (LLPG) team and with Royal Mail to make sure that there are no issues with the proposed addresses. Royal Mail will also allocate postcodes to the properties at this stage.

If the applicant has indicated that the property will not be built at the time of allocation, then the SNN Officer will request for Royal Mail and the LLPG team to set up the address as Not Yet Built (NYB). This means that the address will be officially registered, but will not show up on public facing records. The applicant can then request that the address be made LIVE later on, when they are ready to occupy the premises.

If there are no outstanding issues, Royal Mail and the LLPG team will update their records and the application will pass to the next stage.

If Royal Mail or the LLPG team raise an issue with the application, the SNN Officer may contact the applicant to advise them of the issue and to request relevant information (if appropriate). If the issue cannot be resolved, the SNN Officer will reject the application.

Stage 6: Address Allocation

Once Royal Mail and the LLPG team have confirmed that their records have been updated, the SNN Officer will send a notification email to the SNN Notification List. This marks the official allocation point for the new addresses.

Once the notification email has been sent, the application will pass to the next stage.

Stage 7: Completion

The SNN Officer will send a completion notice to the applicant confirming that the address has been changed. The case will then be closed, and no further amendments will be made.